The Sustainability Committee met on Thursday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. Its first order of business was the upcoming Civic Engagement Environmental Sustainability Workshop that will be held in the 1867 Lounge on Nov. 17 from 5 to 6 p.m., featuring co-chairs Elisabeth Sauerman (’24) and Jaden Mena (‘25) as facilitators. The workshop will also feature the voice of farmer Shaun Ananko, Director of Agriculture and Education at Grow It Green Morristown. Information about the workshop and a link to RSVP can be found here.
In terms of campus/student concerns, Student Senator Jocelyn Freeman (‘25) brought up the topic of leaf blower gasoline, expressing concern for wildlife. Elaborating on the issues associated with the leaf blower, Freeman said, “We’ve also been removing our leaves instead of keeping them onsite and using more sustainable methods.” Freeman suggested using lawn mowers instead for leaf disposal, which she has witnessed in the past. Committee members would also rather see the leaves be mulched for soil, and they are pursuing a joint email correspondence with a student government liaison and Drew’s facilities administration to see if composting the leaves is feasible.
Sauerman also mentioned that the New Jersey Licensed Site Remediation Association has expressed interest in coming to Drew’s campus to do a workshop. Their visit would occur sometime in the spring, most likely around Earth Week. The members of the Sustainability Committee are also looking to bring back “Drew-It-in-the-Dark”during the spring, an energy-saving competition that will raise awareness and encourage the school populace to reduce energy-usage.
Freeman also pitched ideas for what to do with the leftover pumpkins people have collected from the Halloween season. She expressed interest in a “pumpkin smash.” Student Senator Anna Beth Lee (‘25) volunteered to talk to the Theo Garden group about putting on a pumpkin smash for garden compost.
For more information or for those interested in getting involved, email esauerman@drew.edu or jmena@drew.edu.
Featured image courtesy of drew.edu.
