By Anne Sjolander, on behalf of Second Nature team
Apathy has become a common word used to characterize the generation Y, college crowd. As the older generations question our dedication and activism in the political realm, there is one subject we can strongly say youth is leading, the green movement. Whether it is bringing local food on campus, establishing sustainability clubs, installing wind turbines, or constructing LEED certified buildings, College students are thinking creatively to reform their institutional frameworks. As individual schools work towards sustainability, the question becomes, how can we learn from each other’s experience and knowledge to unite College and University efforts towards sustainability?
One way Colleges and Universities can stay connected is through the National Wildlife Federation, Campus Ecology Case Study database. The National Wildlife Federation, Campus Ecology sector has annually accepted and collected Case Studies from schools across the nation since 1997. The Campus Ecology division of the National Wildlife Federation began in 1989 when the organization challenged Colleges and Universities to begin environmental movements on their campuses. They began the program and the case study database in order to “reduce the need to reinvent the wheel”.1
Examples from the 2009-2010 school year include American University’s installment of LED lights in parking garages and campus pathways, the College of Menominee Nation’s establishment of a pilot wind power generator, and Duke’s promotion of carbon neutral travel for students and staff.
With the close of the 2011 school year, The National Wildlife Federation: Campus Ecology division is accepting Case Studies from the 2010 to 2011 school year. As NWF states, the Case Studies are “well-publicized as a valuable resource of sustainability practices and has been featured in the Princeton Review and other national, local, and campus newspapers.”2 By sharing with the public your College or Universities’ efforts towards sustainability, we can all celebrate each other’s accomplishments, learn and build off of each other’s examples, and motivate one another to continue to strive towards sustainability on campuses throughout the coming 2011-2012 school year.
Case Studies will be accepted until August 20,2011 and the illustrated reports will be published in the coming Fall. To apply and submit your case studies visit the NWF Campus Ecology Case Study Database website.
1. http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/Campus-Solutions/About/History-of-the-Program.aspx
2. http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/Campus-Solutions/About/Submit-a-Case-Study.aspx
