SUNY Ulster’s Environmental Club is working to make sustainability a bigger part of the college’s mission. The student group would like to see more specific sustainability goals added to the mission statement and will present its recommendations to the Board of Trustees.
Environmental Club President Aidan Ferris and Vice President Alex Lemus met with President Don Katt to share the club’s ideas and will make the presentation on Dec. 16. The club is recommending numerous new initiatives, including the formation of a sustainability committee, working with food service to reduce waste and increase recycling, and implementing a sustainability tracking and rating system.
The members would like to see the college use the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) conducted by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), which is used by SUNY Orange and hundreds of other community colleges.
The club also has been active in community work. Six members along with faculty advisor Jennifer Costello donated their time to restore, protect and beautify a Hudson River park. The group spent half a day planting native plant species at Kingston Point Beach, working with Kingston Parks and Recreation Department, UlsterCorps and Volunteer New York on the service project.
Want to get involved? Contact Jennifer Guiher at guiherj@
