Sustainability at Wake Forest

This article is the first in a series about sustainability grads. We hope you enjoy it!

Andrew Collins (’10) joined the Office of Sustainability intern team during the spring semester of his senior year, after a study abroad internship with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Inspired by a course with Biology Professor Miles Silman, Collins worked alongside Landscaping Services Staff to kick-start the Campus Tree Care Plan, a key component of Tree Campus USA certification.

After graduation, he joined the New York City Teaching Fellows program and was hired as a middle school science teacher at a 6-12 public school while simultaneously pursuing a Masters in Science Education degree at Pace University. This fall, he will begin the MA in Conservation Biology program at Columbia University, to build on his undergraduate experiences at home and abroad.

“Conservation is not simply about saving obscure species and working in faraway places,” he said. “But rather is central to improving human wellbeing.” After he completes his degree, he plans to work for an organization that helps communities and governments better manage and restore their ecosystems in order to achieve sustainable development.

What inspires you to be sustainable?

An appreciation of the enormous amount of diversity present on our planet and an understanding of the value of conserving it. We depend on the natural world not only for our health and happiness, but for the cultural and economic value its services provide.  

What is the biggest issue facing our generation?

The impacts humans have had on the environment in the last century have been intensely felt all across the planet. We now understand the economic and social costs of non-sustainable ecosystem use. If we continue to see ourselves as dominators of nature, we are further dissociating ourselves from it. Our generation has been given an opportunity to begin to reverse this trend of devaluing the world’s ecosystems. The biggest issue we face is enacting this change, which can only happen through recognition that we are inherently dependent on the services the natural world provides. With 10.5 billion people by 2050, we must fully embrace this new perspective and make smart decisions based upon it.

What is your number one tip for living sustainably?

Live in a city. If you’re in the United States, live in New York City. High-density city living is an environmentally responsible choice.

 By Caitlin Edwards, Wake Forest Fellow

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Members of the class of 2012 are invited to sign the Green Graduation Pledge on Friday, May 18 at graduation ticket pick-up outside the University Book Store. Students who sign the pledge are committing to “take into account the social and environmental consequences of any future endeavors and to work to improve the sustainability of the communities in which [they] work, live and play.”

This is the university’s second year offering the Green Graduation Pledge to students. The tradition began 25 years ago at Humboldt State University. Today, more than 100 schools participate in the nationwide pledge drive, facilitated by the Graduation Pledge Alliance. Since the initial year, more than 200,000 students have signed the pledge nationwide.

One hundred seniors have already signed the pledge. The next 150 seniors will receive a green reusable travel coffee mug with the pledge printed on it, to remind them of their commitment to sustainability in their lives after college.

Two hundred forty-seven members of the class of 2011 committed to living more sustainable lives last year – a number we hope to beat in 2012.

By Caitlin Edwards, Wake Forest Fellow

The on-campus student social venue, known as The Barn, was awarded LEED Silver certification for new construction on April 19, 2012. The building, designed to host parties and events on campus, is located in the woods near Palmer and Piccolo Residence Halls and is surrounded by wildlife habitat. There is no parking directly outside the venue, which is instead accessible by a walking path.

“We typically build on a streetscape,” project manager Keith Callahan said. “The sustainable project site of this building is a stand-out feature.”

Large garage-style roll-up doors enable the Barn to serve as an open air space in nice weather, with energy-efficient fans cooling the space in the hottest months. The energy-saving features of the building resulted in a 38.5 percent reduction in energy use, compared to a typical building of its type.

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The 10 Days of Celebrating the Earth were a big success. One hundred fifty people pledged to make a sustainable change during the 10 Days. There was an opportunity to learn about hydraulic fracturing, to shop for local food at the Reynolda Village Farmers Market and to honor our trees when the university received Tree Campus USA certification for the first time. Did you miss some of the days’ events? You can sample some highlights below and check out the photos in our flickr gallery.

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We need your help spreading the word about all the great waste reduction programs that are in place for move-out. Last year, we kept more than 10 tons of books, furniture, clothes, paper and other items out of the landfill. We need your help to be successful again this year. Please familiarize yourself with the following programs and spread the word to your friends. A small effort at move-out can really make a difference, so be sure to do your part.

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Join the Piedmont Environmental Alliance for the 7^th annual Piedmont Earth Day Fair. Admission and parking are both free at this fun, family-friendly event. Know someone else on campus who wants to go?  Consider walking, biking or carpooling to the event to be kind to the Earth.

Piedmont Earth Day Fair

When: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Where: Dixie Classic Fair Grounds

Spend an hour or the whole day exploring the fair. From great food to children’s activities to educational exhibits, there’s something for everyone.

Over 100 exhibitors will demonstrate the sustainable features of their products or services, highlight local initiatives to protect the environment, and share their passion for sustainable solutions to modern day living.

Children’s activities are sure to delight all ages.  From parades, face painting and pony rides to children’s exhibits featuring bees, birds, snakes, plants, butterflies and much more.  Learn more here.

In-depth, hands-on demonstrations will be conducted in the Demonstrations Tent and include topics such as composting, saving energy, water conservation and more.  View the schedule here.

Live music all day on the main stage will feature well-known local and national talent, with something for everyone, including folk, bluegrass, rock, and acoustic powerhouse.  View the talented line-up.

A wide range of delicious food, from Mexican prepared-to-order, organic hotdogs, vegetarian and vegan dishes, pizza fresh from a wood-fired oven, ice cream, gelato and more.  View the food line-up.

Explore local foods on and around campus by participating in a guided walk to Reynolda Village Farmers Market.  You can dine all day on local cuisine in the Reynolda Fresh Food Company and the Magnolia Room.

Guided Walk to Reynolda Village farmers market

When: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Where: Benson University Center circle

Meet a guide in the Benson University Center circle and walk together to the Reynolda Village Farmers Market. The market runs from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Fridays from April until October. Bring your local food home in a free, reusable “WFU <3s Farmers” tote bag. Supplies are limited.

Earth Day at the FFCo. – Farm to Fork Friday

When: Regular dining hours

Where: The Reynolda Fresh Food Company and the Magnolia Room

Enjoy locally-sourced food during lunch or dinner at the last Farm to Fork Friday of the semester. While you dine, take a minute to learn more about other sustainable initiatives in dining like the new composting program and the innovative, green cleaning methods  used in campus dining locations.

Local foods to be featured in the Fresh Food Company and the Magnolia Room include:

• Sweet Potatoes – Ham Produce, Snow Hill, NC
• Strawberries – Cottle Farms, Faison, NC
• Salad bar items (wheat grass, alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts, tri-colored cauliflower, tri-colored carrots, tri-colored grape tomatoes) Sunny Creek Farms, Tryon, NC
• Apple Cider with sliced apples, Henderson Farms, Henderson County, NC
• Whole Baby Carrots – Bolthouse Farms, Suwanee, GA
• Beef for Tacos – Grayson Farms, Scottsville, VA

Celebrate the energy and water saving success of our South Campus residence halls.

Campus Conservation Nationals award ceremony

South Campus residents showed that small changes can make a big difference during the Campus Conservation Nationals in April.

From March 30 to April 20, the students in the six first-year residence halls (Bostwick, Johnson, Luter, Collins, South, and Babcock) participated in the Campus Conservation Nationals 2012, a nationwide energy and water-use reduction competition among more than 150 colleges and universities around the country.

The national competition, organized by the US Green Building Council, Lucid Design Group, the Alliance to Save Energy, and the National Wildlife Federation, encouraged campuses to give students real-time feedback on how their actions reduced the overall energy and water footprints of their residence halls. Wake Forest’s new campus-wide dashboard system  provided that feedback.

Bostwick and Johnson Hall residents won the energy reduction division of the university’s competition.  They collectively reduced their energy consumption by 12.2 percent over the three-week period.

Collins Hall residents dominated in the water division by reducing their water consumption by 16.2 percent. This placed the university nationally in the top five schools with the greatest percent reduction in water.

In total, the university’s first-year residents saved 8,445 kWh of energy and 104,706 gallons of water. Nationwide, participants in the competition saved enough energy to take 151 average-sized homes off the electrical grid for one year.

The campus competition was sponsored by Facilities and Campus Services and Residence Life and Housing.

Was your interest piqued by the Gasland screening? Celebrate Earth Day at Z. Smith Reynolds Library with further discussion of hydraulic fracturing.

Hydraulic Fracturing (“Fracking”) Panel

When: 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Where: Z. Smith Reynolds Library, 4^th Floor Auditorium

This year’s Earth Day panel will focus on the complex social, environmental and economic ramifications of hydrofracturing (“fracking”), a process of extracting natural gases from bedrock by fracturing the rock with high pressure fluid. Discussion panelists include:

• Nathan Atkinson– Mr. Atkinson is a defense attorney with Spilman Thomas and Battle. He will draw on his experience litigating complex multi-party lawsuits involving drilling, hydraulic fracturing, water contamination and toxic torts arising from exposure to various chemicals and naturally occurring elements.
• Dick Schneider, J.D. – Mr. Schneider is a professor of environmental and international business law at the WFU School of Law. He serves on the Environmental Committee of the North Carolina State Bar Association.
• Dr. Lucas Johnston – WFU Departments of Religion and Environmental Studies – Dr. Johnston is trained in sustainability studies and environmental and religious ethics. He teaches a course in the Environmental Studies program on energy policy and sustainability.
• Moderator: Dedee DeLongpré Johnston, Sustainability Director, WFU

This panel discussion is free and open to the public.

Join Z. Smith Reynolds Library and the Office of Sustainability for a free screening of the film, Gasland. Explore the controversial world of hyrdrofracturing (fracking) for natural gas in preparation for the panel discussion on April 25.

Gasland Screening

When: 6:00 p.m.

Where: Z. Smith Reynolds Library, 4^th Floor Auditorium

This screening is free and open to the public.

From the Gasland web site: “The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of “fracking” or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a “Saudia Arabia of natural gas” just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND. Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown.”