The grass is always greener on the other side

UW-Eau Claire nationally recognized for sustainability efforts, but won’t stop there

Story by Trent Tetzlaff, Staff Writer

A recently updated college ranking site listed UW-Eau Claire as a top sustainability school for the fourth year running.

The Princeton Review named Eau Claire one of 332 colleges in the U.S. that blends academic opportunities, campus infrastructure, activities and career training to aim for sustainability.

Christina Hupy, associate professor of geography and anthropology, said she thinks the reason Eau Claire has become a staple on the list is because of the work staff and students put into sustainability year-round.

“The emphasis of stewardship in the Centennial Plan, the leadership of the Student Office of Sustainability and Student Senate in the green fund and the campus sustainability staff network is what always makes us one of the top schools,” Hupy said.

The university has continued to take strides over the past few years to maintain sustainability and has remained successful thanks to continued innovative projects on campus, she said.

Hupy said Eau Claire is working on projects such as solar panels for the top of McIntyre Library and bicycle infrastructure improvements including renovated bicycle parking under McIntyre Library and bicycle lockers.

Sean Hartnett, Eau Claire geography professor, said administration is working to connect recreation with sustainability by creating a more bike-friendly campus, adding additional paths for bikers, creating green landing areas for tubers down the river that contain trash receptacles and completing the outdoor classroom in Putnam Park, which allows students to
learn in nature.

“Recreation is one of the shortest paths to conservation,” Hartnett said. “People getting out and using the campus’ outdoor resources makes them more inclined to do their part to conserve.”

The sustainability success on campus over the years isn’t just thanks to administration, Hupy said. She sees students on campus as a big part of the success in being able to budget and create new ideas to make campus greener.

“The students here are exceptional leaders in sustainability on campus and are the driving force behind a majority of the projects,” Hupy said. “They work very closely with faculty and staff to allocate the green fund on student-driven projects.”

The Eau Claire Student Office of Sustainability has created many initiatives from the Zimride ride share program to a solar panel project.

Eau Claire students pay $20 of about $400 in segregated fee charges each year to fund the Student Office of Sustainability and green-centered programs.

Sophomore Jessica Valdespino said she thinks it is worth the money for Senate and SOS to work to fund sustainability projects on campus.

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea,” Valdespino said. “With the money that we are paying for school, they are able to use part of it to keep our campus clean and sustainable.”

Hartnett said Eau Claire is blessed with natural resources, and using them to help the campus stay sustainable is something that will keep happening down the road.

“We’ve got what you call great natural capital here, we have the river, the pine woods, the bluffs and the terrain, you know we’ve got a gift,” Hartnett said. “Matching that gift with the energy is what is important here for our campus.”