Olivia DrakeTwenty-three colleges and universities in New England, including Wesleyan, have joined an EPA effort to cut the amount of food that goes to waste. This doubles the participation of EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge in 2013, since 11 New England colleges and universities were already participating in the challenge. In 2011, these schools recovered a total of 4,538 tons of food. The partnership, which was announced in honor of Earth Day, aims to reduce the 1.64 million tons of food wasted each year in the six New England states. EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge, encourages organizations to reduce, donate, and recycle as…
Hannah Norman '16Plant trees, create recycled art, tour a chestnut orchard, work on an organic garden and much more during Earth Month at Wesleyan! During the month of April, Wesleyan's Sustainability Office is hosting several earth-friendly opportunities. Events begin April 4 with a luncheon discussion on "Waste: Uncertainty, Futurity, and Democratic Engagement" at Woodhead Lounge. The Wesleyan community also is invited to the 6th Annual Global Environmental Sustainability Symposium on Transportation, Human Mobility and Sustainability at Central Connecticut State University the same day. On April 6, join student organization WILD Wes to plant the berry bushes and herbaceous plantings for the Edible…
Three Wesleyan students joined hundreds of climate change activists from around the world to strategize with fellow youth, discuss climate change policy, engage with delegates and participate in a climate change march during the 18th Conference of the Parties (COP18) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Doha, Qatar. The convention began Nov. 26. Sophie Duncan '13, Samantha Santaniello '13 and Chloe Holden '15, accompanied by Michael Dorsey, fellow of the College of the Environment, visiting professor of environmental studies, obtained entry badges and jumped right into a panel discussion on equitable climate policies with representatives from…
Recognizing the importance of sustainability and commitments set forth in the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), Wesleyan has become a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). AASHE is a national organization that enables higher education institutions to meet their sustainability goals by providing specialized resources, professional development, and a network of peer support. Wesleyan also has become a charter participant in AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). Created by the higher education community, STARS is a comprehensive system that enables colleges and universities to gauge their progress toward sustainability.…
Wesleyan hosted its first Campus Sustainability Day on Oct. 24. CSD is a national event that began in 2002 to bring awareness to campus sustainability projects and encourage students to take action. This year, in conjunction with the Farmers’ Market, many Wesleyan student groups and the Sustainability Office set up tables outside Usdan University Center to share their recent projects with the campus community. Groups that attended included Wes Bikes, Middletown Urban Gardens, Butterfields Green Hall residents, WILD Wes, Long Lane Farm, WesFRESH, Green Fund, Local Co-op and Energy @ Wes. "The tabling went very well, with students stopping by…
It’s that time of year: crunchy fall leaves and the long awaited end to the summer harvesting season. Long Lane Farm’s ninth annual Pumpkin Fest, held on Oct. 6, celebrated this culmination with free vegetarian food, face painting, live music from student bands, farm tours, yoga, and more. Middletown residents and Wesleyan students and faculty alike came together in what farm enthusiast Josh Krugman '14 called “a celebration of the farm as a student-run project that makes amazing things happen, and also the farm as a community and the possibility the farm has of creating community even outside of the…
Thirsty for money? Build a Wesleyan water station and win a $1,000 cash prize! As a part of its commitment to becoming a bottled water-free campus, Wesleyan is seeking alternatives to hydrate the campus community at outdoor events. The Sustainability Office, Center for the Arts, The Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and the College of the Environment are co-sponsoring a student competition to design a mobile water station, which will be used at Reunion & Commencement, Homecoming/Family Weekend, and other outdoor events. (more…)
Got milk? All-natural dairy products, farmed and distributed by two Wesleyan alumni, are MOOving into the university's Dining Services this semester. Rick Osofsky ’66 and his daughter Kate ’94 are owners and operators of Ronnybrook Farm Dairy in Ancramdale, N.Y. As second and third generation dairy farmers, the Osofskys pride themselves on their natural farming methods using a small herd of Holstein cows. "Our dairy products are bottled on site in the morning, and since we're located less than two hours from Wesleyan, they arrive fresh," Rick explains. "We're both so pleased to bring a bit of our farm back…
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Q: Jennifer, you started working as Wesleyan's sustainability coordinator on July 2. Please define "sustainability" and explain the purpose of this new position. A: I think of sustainability as people living such that current and future generations of humans and animals, as well as the Earth itself, can thrive. Sustainability doesn’t just have to do with the environment; it’s about people, too. As the sustainability coordinator, my job is to turn these ideas into tangible actions that help the campus to operate more sustainably and show how others how to change behaviors to live in a way that’s in harmony…
The GOVT/EAST/ENVS 304 “Environmental Politics and Democratization” class is presenting its eco-art project in Usdan University Center’s Huss Courtyard this month. The class is taught by Mary Alice Haddad, associate professor of government, environmental studies and East Asian studies.