Aggie Sustainability

Transcript

Have you ever been to a student farm before? Well, get ready because that is where we’re gonna meet Karyn. She’s a senior majoring in environmental science and management with a minor in education. She’s gonna talk to us about something that makes UC Davis truly extraordinary. It’s unsurpassed efforts in sustainability, not just on campus but everywhere. Okay Karyn, tell us all about it.

– Thank you, Alex. During my college search in high school, one of the things that drew me into UC Davis was the university’s commitment to sustainability. I knew I wanted to go into the environmental sciences and I ultimately decided to attend UC Davis because they walk the talk. Pretty much anything you can win an award for in sustainability, UC Davis has got it. Award for academic programs, for green buildings and for public transportation. In fact, UC Davis has even won an award for multiple years in a row now for being the nation’s greenest university, we take a tremendous amount of pride in prioritizing natural resource and energy conservation, reducing our use of fossil fuels, shifting towards renewable energy sources and our ambitious zero waste goals. I feel at home at UC Davis because I’m surrounded by people who care deeply about the environment and enacting real world change. Our 23 acre student farm is a community where students can create, maintain and explore sustainable food systems. At the farm, students grow in many ways, learning from seasoned educators, from their peers and from themselves, they learn about sustainability through soils, crops, climate, and community. In the process, they gained systems-based thinking and doing skills needed to make a positive difference in today’s world. This program also addresses student food insecurity by connecting produce from the student farm to food access programs on campus. Through our campuses 5,000 plus acres, there are opportunities for students to gain real-world experience addressing the world’s most important environmental issues through an innovative program that’s near and dear to my heart called Learning by Leading, this internship program is run by the department that operates most of our outdoor spaces, the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. It’s through this program that students across 12 different environmental restoration and education internships can engage with the community and transformer campuses landscapes into more beautiful and climate appropriate outdoor spaces. When I first joined Learning by Leading’s Waterway Stewardship internship as an intern, during my first year at UC Davis, I became familiar with land and water management concepts of sustainable environmental design, stormwater management, and native habitat restoration in an urban setting. Now as the coordinator for the Waterway Stewardship Internship, I have the opportunity to mentor budding environmental stewards and lead projects that promote sustainability on campus. Through the Green Initiative Fund, a campus program sponsored by UC Davis Sustainability, my staff mentor fellow coordinator and I were awarded a grant to purchase an electric gator. Our e-gator represents the initial transition to utility vehicle fleet that is not powered by fossil fuels. I’m proud to be a sustainable Aggie. Back to you, Alex.

– Wow, thank you, Karyn. You’ve definitely made the case for why UC Davis owns the title, greenest university in the country. Just incredible to see all the ways they’re changing the way we think about the world around us. Thanks again, Karyn, great job.