Center for Environment & Society

Campus Sustainability

Cherish the Waters

The "Cherish the Waters" music and storytelling tour focused on Chesapeake watershed conservation.

Campus Sustainability Background

Context

Campus Sustainability is a large national and international movement among college campuses. Many have adopted a Green Initiative to address their ecological footprint on the environment, declaring an interest and investment in making their institution for higher learning a model for sustainable living. Major players in the movement include (but are not limited to) Tufts University, Ball State University, Harvard University, Brown University, Middlebury College, University of Vermont, St. Olaf College, and Oberlin College. Within the Centennial Conference, Franklin and Marshall, Swarthmore, Muhlenberg, Johns Hopkins, Bryn Mawr, and Dickinson College have committed to greening their campuses.

Green Initiatives on college campuses are as diverse as they are plentiful, with some colleges going so far as to attempt to meet stipulations of the Kyoto Protocol and others taking more modest steps such as purchasing local foods; a step Washington College is currently pursuing. In the 15 years or so of proliferating Green Initiatives many resources have developed to facilitate easier exchanges of "green" ideas: The World Wildlife Federation's Campus Ecology program, the international association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (ULSF) initiated by Tufts University, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), and the Student Sierra Club, to name a few.

Reasons for Going Green

Embedded in a small-farm community located on the Chester River, Washington College has a direct link to the culture and ecology of the Chesapeake Bay and all its watersheds. With its relationship to the Bay in mind, Washington College plays a vital role in educating the public, promoting environmental activism, sustainable community development, and ecological literacy.

Through the Center for the Environment and Society, the environmental studies major, and an active student body dedicated to environmental issues both on and off the campus, the seeds for defining issues within the Eastern Shore community can flourish. We can start by examining genuine reasons to go green by publicly and passionately investing in Washington College's ecological imprint and educational impact on the community. Not only should we make progress to adopt principles of sustainability both in current practices and future planning, but should strive to define our identity in this light.

As an institution of higher learning on the Eastern Shore, we have the potential, and the charge, to become a microcosm of environmental education and activism by pushing the boundaries of the learning experience to become a paragon of sustainable practice. By integrating the College and the surrounding community, the College's location, identity, and directive become steadfast and seamless. If done with sincerity, Washington College will become a living learning community which reflects the natural and cultural heritage of the one in which we live. The College can also become a leader of sustainable principle and practice by producing students empowered with a sense of place which inspires the leadership to change the world.

Building A Sustainable Campus

In 1995, at the suggestion of Dr. Donald Munson, the Environmental Studies major was created. Naturally, given the location of Washington College within the Eastern Shore environment, many students interested in the environment were attracted to the college and nurtured by the newly created major. With the introduction of environmental studies, students began applying what they learned in the classroom.

Early in the environmental history of Washington College, students established the recycling program largely as the result of the efforts of student Howard Kronthal. In July of 2000, the College officially created the Center for the Environment and Society under the direction of Dr. Wayne Bell. The Center's mission was to act as a "catalyst for interpreting and sharing research information, provide a neutral academic forum for addressing difficult policy issues, and promote interdisciplinary approaches to problem-solving" when considering mutually interdependent natural and human systems.

In 2005, Michael Hardesty '05, a student environmental leader, worked with Dr. Munson and Dr. Leslie Sherman to define the role of the first Sustainability Intern. Hardesty analyzed where and how WC receives its foods, as well as what is done with food scrap wastes. He applied for funding from the Henry Luce Foundation for research in science for one year and worked on two local and organic sustainable community agricultural programs with the intent of possibly establishing a business relationship with the Dining Hall: Colchester and Homestead Farms.

Working with Interim Dining Hall Director Joe Lill, Hardesty examined the feasibility of instituting new green initiatives at WC, resulting in the creation of a composting program run by Dining Services and Building and Grounds. His goal was to formalize the initiatives to purchase local foods, compost, and recycle, using those benchmarks as a springboard for continued efforts. The need for a permanent position dedicated to greening the campus-a Director of Sustainability for lack of a better term-became apparent. As that option was not immediately viable, Hardesty formed a committee of faculty, students, and staff to ignite and maintain the dialogue and organization necessary for a successful green initiative. Dr. Michael Chiarappa, then Director of the Center for the Environment and Society, suggested using the resources of the Center to host the new Green Committee, which would address the future of the College as a sustainable community.

Advocates from Buildings and Grounds, College Relations, Dining Services, the Student Environmental Alliance, and the Departments of Biology, Business, Chemistry, Drama, and Environmental Studies established the Committee of Sustainability for a formal exchange of ideas in November 2005.

Hardesty's successor, Shannon Holste '07, continued to steer the Committee of Sustainability and helped the efforts gain widespread publicity through the George Goes Green campaign to save energy, a competition measuring the conservation efforts of dorms and promoting sustainability. The popularity of George Goes Green enabled it to permeate campus culture and provide the impetus for ongoing sustainability efforts.

Today, the composting program continues in the Dining Hall, while Building and Grounds used the first completed compost to plant annuals around the campus. Dining Services now purchases a significant portion of produce locally while it is in season, and also follows the Seafood Watch and plans to begin purchasing local poultry and eggs. In addition, Buildings and Grounds now purchases green cleaning products to improve indoor air quality and contribute to the health of WC housekeepers. Around campus, lighting and HVAC systems are slowly transferring to more efficient alternatives, and all new building and renovation projects are committed to strive toward LEED standards for green building.

Recycle on Campus

Watch a Sustainability Feature produced and narrated by CES intern Maureen Sentman.

Watch video featuring CES intern Melody Warner at the Chino Farms Bird Banding Station.

300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, Maryland 21620 | 410-778-2800 | 800-422-1782