By Teresa Brummett, Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD – Lincoln Land became a little more green seven years ago.
The Workforce Development Department was created in 2007, with hopes to create courses that would help train students in different skills.
Within this department is the Green center. Several surrounding colleges have a similar program. It shows youth and adults how to planting a garden and how to maintain it.
Each student works on a part of the garden. They started out with only 12 raised beds. Raised beds help control troublesome weeds. That has increased to 25 beds.
Recently, the Green Center earned extra funding to install two high-tunnel structures. They will grow food for special events at LLCC.
Food grown in the high tunnels is also used to support the Culinary Arts programs here at Lincoln Land.
Some fresh foods are given to local school districts for use in their cafeterias.
The tunnels produced 240 in three months this winter. But either way the gardens are there for educational purposes and community learning programs.
The program has many other active projects to increase awareness in being green, in addition to the gardens.
The program also tries to reduce paper waste by using cleaning products that meet Green Seal standards, and the use of Energy Star appliances or equipment.
The program is purchasing recycled paper to reduce the amount of solid waste that is continuously being placed in the local landfills.
Even with new construction they are installing low water flush valves and flow restrictors on the faucets and showers.
Even to incorporate a rain garden, the green effort uses native trees and plant species for the landscaping at Lincoln Land.
The Integrated Pest Management course helps students and the college decrease the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides.
The department has also created a Watershed Management program that will focus on our food, sustaining our resources and the effects on the environment due to water.
The Green Center hosts several activities to providing awareness at being green. The events include College Sustainability Day with activities on recycling.
The past year they showed, “OMG,” which discussed genetically modified foods (GMO) and their effects.
They also host Earth Week activities. This year, it will include “Smart Grid” training. It will provide hands-on information and meters, which goes into homes.
There are several workshops available to help students earn a certificate. Building Operator and Building Performance certifications can be received through Management and weatherization training.
In the future, they would like to see a home built with green material.
Lincoln Land is the place to learn about going green, due
to all the courses and activities through the Workforce Development Department.
“We hope that what we do has an effect on how people make decisions about their everyday lives,” Julie Rourke, director of Workforce development. “Taking the wellbeing of the natural world into account and respecting the finiteness of our natural resources.”
Teresa Brummett can be reached at [email protected] or (217) 786- 2311.