Austin College students will hold their 7th annual GreenServe Saturday, April 23 in a morning of volunteer projects focused on environmental responsibility and sustainability. GreenServe is co-sponsored by Thinking Green and the Austin College Service Station; all Austin College students, organizations, staff, or faculty members are encouraged to participate.
Over the last several weeks, student members of the Service Station Board and Austin College Thinking Green (Think) initiative worked to bring together the aspects of this day of service, which will coincide with the weekend of Earth Day. Dr. Mari Elise Ewing, assistant professor of Environmental Studies and one of the faculty sponsors of Think, said, “Through GreenServe, Austin College students meaningfully engage in environmental volunteerism. Students are especially excited about the range of sites around the community and on campus, including this year’s efforts to expand native plantings around the IDEA Center.”
Dozens of students will work at sites across Grayson County—including community outreach at the Texoma Earth Day Festival, habitat cleanup at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, and assisting with the Texoma Community Center Recycling Fundraiser. This year, a great number of students also will work on the Austin College campus to install hundreds of native Texas plants around the IDEA Center.
In addition to supplying the manpower for the IDEA Center planting, students also have helped finance the project. In 2011, Austin College students initiated and voted in the Student Sustainability Fund; each student gives five dollars to this fund annually through the Activity Fee. Last year, the student committee that directs these initiatives was able to install water bottle refill stations in various locations across campus, exemplifying the wide range of greening projects achievable by this fund.
Green Week leads up to the service event, with specific calls to action each day, like Waste Less Wednesday, when students are challenged to waste less food in the cafeteria. The results will be measured, compared to the typical daily average, and reported back to the students.
Local businesses such as Gardenland, Chipotle, and Momo’s Donuts will support the efforts and volunteers of GreenServe.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.f