Next Monday, April 19th, kicks off Earth week here at Valpo! Academic departments and student organizations, as well as Valpo's Subcommittee on Campus Environmental Sustainability, have planned a variety of activities on campus to educate the community on ways to be more environmentally friendly.
The events start on Monday with a lecture by John Albrecht, senior sustainability director from the Chicago firm Nelson Architecture & Engineering Services, describing his work on various sustainable architecture and design projects around the nation.
The schedule for Tuesday includes a "Taste of Waste" presentation by student environmental advocacy organization, Earthtones. Earthtones members will sort through the remnants on students' cafeteria trays outside the Founders Table, and give information on how students can utilize the reusable options available in campus dining facilities to cut down on waste.
On Wednesday Dr. Young Choi will discuss the results of a recent survey he conducted of woodland and plant vegetation at our own local Taltree Arboretum and Gardens. Dr. Choi's talk will also focus on the value and importance of native plant species, and the challenges that exotic and invasive plant species present to our local ecosystem.
Earthtones members will present again on Thursday, this time giving information on recycling during their "Garbology" session. President of Earthtones, Sarah Tucker, said that, "The first Garbology [last year] was well received by the campus community. We had a representative from Able Disposal who clarified exactly what was and was not recyclable before it was thrown away. Many of the passing students were unaware of the sheer amount of material that is recyclable."
These activities are a great way for students and community members to get more involved in integrating environmental sustainability into their everyday lives. They also fit in nicely with the university's efforts in constructing LEED certified buildings on campus, including the Harre Union and Christopher Center Library (both LEED Silver-standard buildings), and the latest endeavor, the Donald V. Fites Engineering Innovation Center, planned to earn LEED Gold-standard status.
I hope everyone has a peaceful and happy Earth Day on the 22nd, and that your local community has some exciting events planned as well! If you'd like to learn more about Valpo's environmental sustainability efforts, or have questions about the university in general, just let me know! As always, keep up the great work with your college search!
-Laura@Valpo
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