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Sustainability doesn’t require major lifestyle changes—small daily actions can have a big impact.

The 13 Days of Green is ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s annual lead-up to Earth Day, designed to promote sustainability and social equity within the campus and local community. Hosted by the Sustainability Office, the event features 13 days of interactive programs, including a kickoff festival, the Green Summit and Oak Awards, a clothing swap, a movie screening of Before the Flood, and a zero-waste Earth Day brunch. Participants can also win sustainable prizes through a raffle. The initiative encourages students, faculty, and community members to engage with sustainability practices and support ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2019, while highlighting fun, educational ways to live more sustainably year-round.

As ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ prepares to host Joe Biden, the Sustainability Office highlights his long-standing commitment to environmental protection and animal rights. Although best known for foreign policy during his 34 years in the U.S. Senate, Biden consistently supported environmental legislation, earning an 84% lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters. He has emphasized the link between global leadership and climate action, advocating for domestic emissions reductions, stronger fuel-economy standards, expanded use of renewable and alternative energy, and greater U.S. participation in international climate efforts. Biden’s record includes supporting limits on mercury emissions, protecting public lands, reducing oil subsidies, strengthening EPA regulations, opposing commercial whaling, and promoting animal welfare. His environmental legacy aligns with ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s sustainability goals and serves as inspiration for continued campus action.

The Sustainability Office is hiring three paid student interns for Summer 2017 to support ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s sustainability initiatives. The 10-week positions run from late May through early August, with flexible schedules up to 40 hours per week. Interns will assist with innovative sustainability programming, creative writing and video content, social media, the Green Bikes program, and occasional work in the Community Garden. Ideal candidates have strong communication, organizational, and writing skills; can work independently in a fast-paced environment; and demonstrate a commitment to sustainability. Applicants must submit a resume, cover letter, and apply through the portal; positions are open until filled.

¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s recycling rate currently stands at about 14%, well below the 23% campus goal for the RecycleMania 8-week competition. RecycleMania encourages universities to boost recycling and reduce landfill waste, and ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ aims to raise its rate from an 18% baseline. This week’s theme focuses on plastics, highlighting ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle them properly. Students are encouraged to visit Green Raiders in the Coop for guidance and to help improve personal and campus recycling habits.

Revee Needham spent winter break in Costa Rica learning about organic agriculture by volunteering at two farms through WWOOF and Osa Conservation. Through WWOOF, they worked on a vegan animal sanctuary farm in exchange for lodging and meals, gaining hands-on experience with organic farming, animal care, and sustainable living. They then volunteered with Osa Conservation’s organic agriculture program, helping with planting and harvesting while learning about the labor-intensive nature of organic farming and environmental challenges such as heavy pesticide use and hurricane damage. Overall, the experience highlighted sustainable travel options and encouraged others to incorporate eco-friendly volunteering and accommodations into their trips.

RecycleMania has started, launching an eight-week campus competition to improve ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s recycling rate. After baseline measurements showed an 18% recycling rate, the goal is to increase it to 23% by the end of the competition. Sustainability interns and Green Ambassadors will be tabling in the Coop to educate students on proper recycling and how to get involved.

¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ has approved a 22-day extended study trip to Patagonia in January 2018, led by Biology Professor Eddie Watkins and Sustainability Director John Pumilio. The half-credit program, based in Chile’s Aysén Region, will immerse students in conservation biology through visits to the ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ Forest, a reforestation and carbon-offset project that sequesters 5,000 tons of COâ‚‚ annually. Students will study forest conservation, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity, conduct independent research, and engage in hands-on reforestation while exploring the region’s ecological and social context. The program aims to connect conservation theory with real-world practice and deepen student understanding of climate change solutions.

RecycleMania is an eight-week intercollegiate recycling competition running from February 5 to April 1. ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s Office of Sustainability will educate students, staff, and faculty on proper recycling to reduce landfill waste. A baseline recycling rate is being established to set a campus goal, and each two-week period will focus on different recyclable materials: awareness, paper, plastics and cans, and less commonly recycled items like e-waste and clothing. Through tabling, tips, and prizes, the program aims to make the campus community more informed and enthusiastic about recycling.

¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ installed its first geothermal heat exchange system at the Chapel House, reducing fossil fuel use and advancing the university’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2019. The system is expected to save over $20,000 annually, cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 50 tons, and reduce overall energy use by 50%. Powered largely by hydroelectric electricity, the $150,000 project will pay for itself in seven years and generate significant long-term savings. Additional upgrades—including improved ventilation, insulation, roofing, and LED lighting—further increased efficiency, making Chapel House a model of sustainability and energy-conscious design.