Last Friday, Washington University in St. Louis hosted its first Climate Day event. This exciting event brought together students, educators, community members, and leaders in climate action in important discussion about today’s pressing climate issues. Climate Day featured a keynote speech, 3 panels consisting of professionals working in government and in the non-profit sector and […]
The Office of Sustainability, in partnership with Residential Life and Facilities, is excited to announce the launch of WashU’s eighth annual Green Cup competition! Among Washington University’s South 40 Residential Colleges and School of Medicine residents, leagues will compete to reduce their energy usage. A Competition to Save Energy On the Danforth campus, electrical energy use from […]
Tim Biello graduated from WashU in 2002, where he studied anthropology and biology. He now runs Featherbed Lane Farm located in the Eastern part of New York State, just north of the capital, Albany. Born in St. Louis, Tim taught environmental education and did trail work before setting his sights on owning and operating his own farm […]
The WUGA program (Washington University Green Ambassadors) is currently seeking applicants for two student director positions. The WUGA program is a student-led, peer-education program supported by the Office of Sustainability that orients new students to sustainable living practices at WashU. WUGAs play a critical role in training first year student to adopt behaviors that align […]
Washington University in St. Louis is proud to announce that it has recently been re-certified as a “Tree Campus USA” for its commitment to encouraging students and university personnel to care for our planet’s tree resources. Tree Campus USA is an initiative through the Arbor Day Foundation that has recognized 333 other universities for their […]
The Environmental Studies Program has announced five open internship positions for Spring 2018. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed starting November 20. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible for the best chance of receiving consideration. [accordion] [accordion_tab title=”Positions” active ] We are looking for enthusiastic and hard-working graduate or undergraduate […]
It’s official! Local Farmer CSA, in partnership with the Office of Sustainability and the Department of Human Resources, now offers CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) Crop Boxes on Danforth campus! Farmer Dave Smith will set up his farm van and a mini market every other Wednesday from 4:00 to 6:00 PM in the Music Library parking […]
Today, we are proud to announce that the League of American Bicyclists has officially recognized Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) with a Silver Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) award, joining 54 other visionary colleges and universities from across the country. This designation is a significant accomplishment for the University and recognition of the commitment to […]
Applications for open internship positions with the Office of Sustainability and affiliated partners are now posted. The deadline to apply is November 12. In-person application reviews are available through November 10. Food Associate – 1 positions AVAILABLE The Office of Sustainability seeks to foster a food system that advances environmental and public health while supporting […]
Background of the WashU CSA program For several years, Washington University’s Office of Sustainability and Human Resources Department have partnered with Local Farmer CSA to offer staff, faculty, and students the opportunity to receive a weekly or bi-weekly Crop Box filled with locally grown produce, fruit, meat, cheeses, yogurt and/or other artisan goods. Signing up […]
The Office of Sustainability is excited to welcome Michelle Patterson to the role of Internship and Business Coordinator! Working closely with the International Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (InCEES) and Environmental Studies, Michelle will play a central role expanding the interdisciplinary internship program to serve a greater number of students and offer a broader range […]
Download the Sustainability Month Calendar Held every October, Campus Sustainability Month is an international celebration of sustainability in higher education. Throughout the month, colleges and universities organize events on campus and elsewhere to engage and inspire incoming students and other campus stakeholders to become sustainability change agents. Washington University is proud to celebrate and […]
Since 2013, WashU Green Ambassadors (WUGAs) have participated in a coordinated effort to welcome first-year students and quickly get them accustomed to the campus’ sustainability culture. This year, a hands-on approach, greater coordination with the Residential Life custodial staff, and diverting additional materials resulted in significant increases in waste diversion from area landfills. Highlights of […]
With students coming back to campus, the quiet summer time at WashU is over. For most of us, the beginning of school is a busy time when classes, events and meetings are competing for a space in our calendar. To get through this hectic period in the most sustainable way possible, WashU offers many opportunities […]
Do you find waste sorting puzzling? If you are feeling rusty and need to brush up on what goes where, check out this video that breaks it down, item by item. This video is perfect for sharing with student groups and campus offices during team meetings. Want a Recycling Genius to come to your meeting […]
The Office of Sustainability is excited to announce the start of a new active transportation support initiative, the Bike Commuter Buddy System! This mentoring program aims to support and encourage members of the Washington University community to commute by bike with a simple concept: connecting experienced and less experienced bike commuters that live in the […]
Did you know that every day in the St. Louis metropolitan area, a volume of water equivalent to 212 Olympic swimming pools is used for domestic purposes? Did you also know that a large percent of this water could easily be saved by preventing leaks and transitioning to high efficiency plumbing fixtures? That is what’s […]
Share Our Stuff is a university-wide effort designed to make it easy for students to donate unwanted items as they pack up and move out at the end of the school year. This campaign collects a wide variety of items in a manner that benefits our community and keeps usable goods out of the landfill. […]
In line with Washington University in St. Louis’s sustainability goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, the University adopted changes to thermostatic setpoints in offices and classrooms on the Danforth Campus. Beyond reducing our carbon footprint, these changes will also improve occupant comfort and reduce operating costs by an estimated $200,000 […]
On February 6, the Buder Center for American Indian Studies hosted a symposium on indigenous rights and environmental justice at Washington University’s Hillman Hall. The symposium addressed environmental and cultural issues relevant to St. Louis and the Dakota Access Pipeline project in North Dakota. The event featured a diverse and dynamic group of presenters. Keynote speaker Harold Frazier, […]
Are you interested to enhance your student leadership skills while fostering a sustainability culture on campus? Apply to be a team leader for the 2017-18 Washington University Green Ambassador (WUGA) program! The Office of Sustainability launched the Green Ambassador program in 2013, and it transitioned to being a student-managed program in 2015. Under the guidance of […]
The Office of Sustainability is pleased to welcome ten new part-time associates this semester. From left to right: Sam Emery, Jenna Schnitzler, Alexis Vidaurreta, Ankita Bhalla, Camille Rieber, Sofia Joison, Annalise Wagner, Sean Fallon, Channing Hunter, and Ashwin Sundaresan. This dynamic group of students will work alongside 12 returning associates and 3.5 staff members to […]
On January 27, the first annual Washington University Green Carpet Awards recognized the 55 university offices that certified or re-certified with the Green Office Program in 2016. To certify, an office must first fulfill requirements that promote a sustainable workplace and environment, ranging from sourcing recycled-content paper to eliminating individual space heaters. Since the program […]
On October 22, Washington University Students for International Collaboration on the Environment (WUSICE) presented the second annual Washington University Climate Change Negotiations (WUCCN). During the event, around thirty WashU undergraduate students, law students, and students and staff from other universities participated in a simulation of the annual United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) […]
WashU’s Green Office program is a point-based, self-assessment checklist that enables offices to evaluate their current practices and set goals to be more sustainable moving forward. Congratulations to recent participants: Office of Central Services & Mail Receiving Office of Access Control School of Medicine’s FMD Supply Room Office of Student Technology Services Habif Health and Wellness […]
Food Day is a national event that takes place October 24. It is intended to inspire Americans to make healthy changes in our diets and to take action to solve food-related problems in our communities. WashU is celebrating Food Day throughout the week of October 24-28 with a theme of Food Justice. We envision a food […]
Green Monday is a growing global movement that urges consumers to consider the environmental and public health impacts of their food choices. It began in Hong Kong and has grown to include universities and organizations across Asia, Europe, and the United States. WashU is proud to be one of the first American universities to launch […]
October is Active Transportation Month (ATM) at Washington University. The goal of ATM is to motivate staff, faculty, and students to kick the car habit and try active, low-carbon means of transportation. If you cannot imagine going car-free, consider carpooling or budgeting time to try transit one or two days during the month. If you are […]
Over the summer, WashU staff and faculty supported a variety of sustainability projects and initiatives across multiple campuses. Learn more about several key accomplishments below. Energy Efficiency and Green Building Projects Installed a 25 kilowatt (kw) rooftop solar array on the Academy Building, just across Forest Park Parkway from the Danforth Campus (the photo above shows the installation mid-process). Over […]
The School of Medicine’s Student Sustainability Committee works to make sustainability a priority on campus. On August 1, committee members presented to first-year medical students as part of their orientation. In addition to reviewing the importance of energy efficiency and waste reduction, members touched on the impacts of climate change on public health, such as the link […]