Rice University’s Office of Sustainability has been celebrating Campus Sustainability Month (CSM) this October. Student organizations, campus departments and community partners that advance sustainability on campus and within Houston recently gathered at Rice Memorial Center’s Grand Hall Oct. 21 to demonstrate the variety of sustainable practices available on campus and to the Rice community.
“Campus Sustainability Month is a powerful reminder that meaningful change begins with collective action,” said Kristianna Bowles, associate director in the Office of Sustainability. “By bringing together students, university departments and community partners, we create opportunities to share ideas, build lasting partnerships and turn sustainable practices into everyday habits. Every contribution matters, and together, we can continue building a healthier, more resilient campus and a more sustainable future for Houston and beyond.”
Held every October, CSM is an international celebration of sustainability in higher education. Throughout the month, colleges and universities organize events to engage and inspire incoming students and other campus stakeholders to become sustainability change agents.
Participating groups this year have included Rice student organizations (EcoReps, the Graduate Student Association Sustainability Committee, inThread, Rice Agua Vida, Rice Beekeeping Club, Rice ReUse, Rice Student Association Environmental Commission, Rice Student Birding Club, Rice Urban Agriculture, Rice Vegan Society and Rice Wind Energy); Rice departments (Betty and Jacob Friedman Holistic Garden; Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences; Environmental Science; Fondren Green Team; Graduate Student Loan Closet; Housing, Dining & Hospitality; Lynn R. Lowrey Arboretum; Office of Sustainability; Program in Environmental Studies; and the SAFE Office) and community entities (Center for Health and Nature, Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation, Community Flood Resilience Task Force, ConnectSmart, Harris County OCA Sustainability, Houston Zoo, METRO, Moonshot Compost and the National Wildlife Federation).
The goal of CSM is to raise the visibility of campus sustainability and provide advocates with a platform to deepen engagement around sustainability. It provides opportunities to recruit new leaders and set goals for the rest of the year. It also fits squarely into the goals of the Office of Sustainability and supports the office’s overall mission.
Rice’s sustainability program started in December 2004 and plays an active role in various areas, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, combating climate change, improving water and energy efficiency, supporting new construction in green ways, improving recycling, reducing solid waste disposal, championing the university’s composting program, embedding environmental education in thoughtful ways into the curriculum and using the campus as a living laboratory for learning about sustainability and connecting student project work with opportunities to improve the campus’ environmental performance.
Although October features CSM, sustainability is a year-round priority at Rice, and the office continually showcases its creativity in engaging the community.
For more information about the Office of Sustainability, visit sustainability.rice.edu.