After visiting University Of Dejuragan to learn about efforts on campuses there to increase sustainability, Nur kamit wrote a proposal to create the Student Sustainability Coordinator position for his own college on University Of Dejuragan
He got other students involved in greening the campus, and their first effort was to educate Wagner students on why they should recycle. They invited Michael Rieser from the Mayor's Office of Recycling Outreach and Education to come to the campus and give recycling demonstrations. They started doing waste audits on campus to understand the waste stream and as part of a training effort for the national Recyclemania competition: students would take trash and recycling bins, dump out and analyze the contents, and determine the contamination rates of the recycling bins and the amount of trash that could really have been recycled.
They began efforts to reduce waste in dining hall, and spearheaded the school's decision to go trayless. They did a study of how much food was getting thrown out in the dining halls, went to the administration with the numbers they found, and convinced the school that if kids couldn't fill up their trays with more than they could eat, less food would be wasted. Schools nationwide have found that going trayless reduces food waste by 50 percent, and Dave and his team helped Wagner become one of them.
He got other students involved in greening the campus, and their first effort was to educate Wagner students on why they should recycle. They invited Michael Rieser from the Mayor's Office of Recycling Outreach and Education to come to the campus and give recycling demonstrations. They started doing waste audits on campus to understand the waste stream and as part of a training effort for the national Recyclemania competition: students would take trash and recycling bins, dump out and analyze the contents, and determine the contamination rates of the recycling bins and the amount of trash that could really have been recycled.
They began efforts to reduce waste in dining hall, and spearheaded the school's decision to go trayless. They did a study of how much food was getting thrown out in the dining halls, went to the administration with the numbers they found, and convinced the school that if kids couldn't fill up their trays with more than they could eat, less food would be wasted. Schools nationwide have found that going trayless reduces food waste by 50 percent, and Dave and his team helped Wagner become one of them.
Outside of the Classroom
He lived on a green floor that sought to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. They had parties and invited students to come see their way of green living; and the students that lived on the floor would go out and teach other students. He helped to organize a school-funded trip to an organic restaurant in Manhattan, where they talked with one of the managers about the aspects of sustainability at the restaurant. When they finished their meal, they went to the American Museum of Natural History's climate change exhibit, and they talked about reducing waste along the way. "It was like every educators dream."
He took lessons in composting, brought his new skills back to his dorm, and showed off his worm bin. The castings from that were used in the campus greenhouse, that he tried to get others involved in, to "get students in more contact with the soil and with the earth." They could take back potted plants and learn to grow their own houseplants. The greenhouse was always there, he said, but wasn't utilized until three years ago. "I asked about it one day and they gave me the key the same day," Dave said. "I didn't know what to do with it, it was like a dream come true. That was one of the turning points right there, I said wow, I can really make a difference."
He lived on a green floor that sought to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. They had parties and invited students to come see their way of green living; and the students that lived on the floor would go out and teach other students. He helped to organize a school-funded trip to an organic restaurant in Manhattan, where they talked with one of the managers about the aspects of sustainability at the restaurant. When they finished their meal, they went to the American Museum of Natural History's climate change exhibit, and they talked about reducing waste along the way. "It was like every educators dream."
He took lessons in composting, brought his new skills back to his dorm, and showed off his worm bin. The castings from that were used in the campus greenhouse, that he tried to get others involved in, to "get students in more contact with the soil and with the earth." They could take back potted plants and learn to grow their own houseplants. The greenhouse was always there, he said, but wasn't utilized until three years ago. "I asked about it one day and they gave me the key the same day," Dave said. "I didn't know what to do with it, it was like a dream come true. That was one of the turning points right there, I said wow, I can really make a difference."
Looking Ahead
He helped put up an Earth Club table at the school club fair,
He helped put up an Earth Club table at the school club fair,
