For those interested in environmentalism and looking to get more involved, Campus Sustainability and the Sustainability Club have lots in store for the year.
Boise State Campus Sustainability strives to “build empowered, equitable, resilient communities by facilitating education, diverse collaboration, and civic engagement to create an ever-growing healthy and sustainable university”.
Campus Sustainability offers multiple ways for students passionate about caring for the environment to get involved and connected with individuals of similar interests through the sustainability club, trash club, eco-reps, internships and more.
Paul Venable, in his first year as the event coordinator for the sustainability club, was recruited last June because of his work with Boise State’s very own trash club.
Venable is the founder of the trash club, which he started a little over a year ago with the goal in mind to “address the problem of litter in Boise and more so, the amount of littering that can appear with a city growing as fast as Boise”.
According to Venable, this club became so successful that he chose to start a separate nonprofit while still keeping the Boise State club. Trash club is a great first step for students looking to get more involved on campus, read more club information here.
Along with the trash club, Venable is the head of this year’s Recycle Fest happening on campus. The event started a few years ago as a way to spread awareness about recycling in the residence halls on campus.
Recycle Fest is a way to help educate students about our recycling program here in Idaho, what is recyclable and what isn’t.
The entire month of October, members of the sustainability club are tabling around residence halls on campus interacting with and educating students about recycling.
“We want students to know why it’s so important to recycle because on campus, we can’t recycle that much,” Venable said. “One of the biggest things is that plastic is not recyclable at all on campus and many students don’t know that”.
Venable explains that many of Boise State’s students are coming from states like California, Oregon and Washington, where everything is recyclable, unlike here in Idaho.
Recycle Fest is here to educate the Boise State campus and help us towards a better future in recycling.
Another great opportunity for students to get more involved in campus sustainability is the eco-reps programs. Eco-Reps “serve as sustainability ambassadors to the University and participate in activities focused on making a positive environmental impact in the Boise State community and beyond”.
Photo by Claire Keener | The Arbiter
As an eco-rep, students work with Campus Sustainability to develop their own projects geared towards improving Boise State’s environmental footprint. Giving students the opportunity to directly improve campus sustainability and implement new campaigns. Contact campus sustainability to learn more.
Kat Davis, the campus sustainability director and the driving force behind the sustainability office, strives to help the community and individuals “put energy towards a better future”.
“I like to think of my role as bringing passionate folks together to reimagine what is possible,” Davis said. “And bridge partnerships to reach common goals, and to help value-add into one’s everyday work or academic life.”
Davis has been with Campus Sustainability for over four years, starting in August of 2017. Having grown interested in environmental issues through human health and wellbeing in high school, Davis went on to major in Environmental Studies and Geography at the University of Colorado Boulder.
As a system thinker, Davis strives to help the Boise community work towards a better future and believes that “sustainability is all about constantly envisioning and practicing that science fiction of building a better tomorrow and what that could look like.”
Events orchestrated through the sustainability club and trash club are great ways for students to dip their toes into environmental work, but for those looking for more serious opportunities, the sustainability office can help you get connected with internships and volunteer work.
