Campus greening at Vermont college a Democratic process
Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vt., is taking its “green” name literally. Capitalized by $30 from each student’s activity fee, the college’s Campus Greening Fund puts campus environmental improvements in the hands of students.
The fund, started in 2004, is designed to put into action greening initiatives that increase environmental awareness and decrease the school’s ecological footprint. Environmental proposals are evaluated by a student committee and awards are based on a vote from its 850 students.
This year, eight projects were funded with $25,611 set aside for implementation. The 2009 Greening Fund projects included a campus eco-label program, a green bike program, tree canopy restoration, and a planting program for fruit-bearing trees.
Other programs included an earth tub restoration project that will repair and restore two large composting bins and a low flow shower head program to replace the current 2.5 gallon per minute showerheads in residence halls with the more efficient 1.5 gallon per minute shower heads.
“We review the proposals and help the students get feedback and advice from local community partners,” said senior Christina-Alexa Liakos, a co-director of the fund and one of five students on the committee. “We also make sure to coordinate with the campus facilities department and the land use committee, to make sure the projects can be done in the most effective and timely manner. It’s green democracy in action.”
The Green Mountain College Campus Greening Fund was one of three programs on North American campuses to receive a 2009 Sustainability Innovator Award from The Sustainable Endowments Institute. The institute publishes an online national report card designed to identify colleges and universities that are leading by example in their commitment to sustainability. ![[end]](/resources/bullet/cr80news-4.gif)
