Sustainability Club helps Viterbo go green
As people become more and more concerned with climate change and the state of our planet, many students and faculty are actively making changes to try to become more sustainable. Viterbo’s Sustainability Club is no exception.
Student Sustainability Club is a club that focuses on sustainable practices and simple ways to help the planet. The club put on a small farmers market in late September and sold vegetables and homemade goods at Franny Fest in October.
They have plans for the upcoming year as well. They want to investigate creating a composting station where students residing on campus can dispose of their food waste and learn about the benefits of composting for the environment.
They also are a part of the Campus Eco Challenge. This challenge involves setting practical goals in a variety of categories that help the environment.
The goals can be as easy as printing paper double sided, going for walks outside and avoiding the use of plastic straws and bags. Students who sign up not only make a difference in the planet, but also go into a competition against other campuses around the world to see who can be the most “green.”
On top of these, they also are looking to add more signage to areas on campus that are sustainable such as the rain gardens and the more sustainable pavement the university has begun using.
With increased interest in saving the planet and the environmental movements occurring around the world, there is increased involvement on campus as well. Karen Hurtgen says that what she is most excited about is boosting awareness of the group’s efforts on campus: “People are noticing that we are doing more things that are sustainable. People are wanting to be more a part of the sustainability group. I’m excited about that.”