Higher education is at the forefront of changing how we, as a society, live, breathe, and learn. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is a non-profit organization that works with higher education institutions to help create sustainable operations, and learning environments, to create a system that is a breeding ground for new ideas.
Specifically, Sustainability Month facilitated by AASHE, is coordinated to catalyze higher education to be at the forefront of global sustainable development. The month of October is dedicated as a time for colleges and universities to host events and provide education on the goals of sustainable practices and development. AASHE is a resource that provides frameworks and assistance to institutions to achieve their sustainability goals.
The Office of Sustainability on the Southern New Hampshire University campus works to keep students, staff, and faculty, educated on sustainable practices, both on and off campus. Community engagement is vital for these systems to be effective during, and after the month of sustainability education.
Pamela Beckvagni, Assistant Director of Sustainability Programs, helps lead student Eco-Reps to successfully create a more sustainable SNHU. “The goals of this October’s Sustainability Month are to have students, faculty, and staff, be exposed to new sustainable ideas and come out of it with real knowledge about sustainable practices,” explains Pamela when asked what success looks like for the month.
Throughout the month, the Office of Sustainability will host events to do just this.
To start off the month, students and faculty can come to the Paul LeBlanc building green space and learn about the waste practices on campus through a waste audit on October 2, 11 am–1 pm. Participants can help sort waste from one of the residence hall compactors and learn what is recyclable and what is trash. They can also play games and have a chance to win a gift card to the bookstore.
The second event will be an Arboretum clean-up on October 3, 3:30–5:30 pm. Volunteers can come learn about the Arboretum space and help remove invasive plant species and trash.
There will be various off-campus community events throughout the month building outdoor classrooms for local schools to engage the community in sustainable development.
The Office of Sustainability is working with the Dining Hall to host a free meatless and a free vegan meal in the Robert Frost Green Space on October 11, 11 am-1 pm. This meal is facilitated to inform students about the pitfalls of eating meat and using animal products, as well as learn about what sustainable programs and initiatives the dining hall is engaged in. They are also working on infrastructure to effectively compost food waste from the Dining Hall.
Lastly, the Office of Sustainability is hosting the first Arboretum After Dark! A Halloween themed trail walk on Thursday, October 24, from 7-9 pm. Come with one non-perishable food item for a haunted trial walk where students from different clubs will come to scare participants.
Any student that is interested in being involved as a scarer, contact Emily Salyards by email at: ws_emily.salyards@snhu.edu.
This month is important moving forward, for the sustainability movement of both the SNHU campus, and the worldwide systematic mindset change.
Some tips on how you can reduce waste follow:
Buy less one-use plastics and use refillable drink cups.
Be mindful of items going into the recycling. Trash Bags and Food Are Not Recyclable!
Reach out to the Office of Sustainability with questions or checkout their website:
snhu.sharepoint.com/sites/Sustainability
