Sustainability News

Ohio University will celebrate Earth Day with a series of events for students, faculty, staff and area residents on Monday, April 14, from 12-4 p.m. in the Walter Hall Rotunda.

The celebration of campus and community sustainability efforts is part of the Earth Day celebrations being held around the world. The International Earth Day Network collaborates with partners in more than 192 countries to support environmental protection and peace.

Hosted by the Office of Sustainability, the Earth Day activities at Ohio University are free and open to the public.

Ohio University will celebrate Earth Day with a series of events for students, faculty, staff and area residents on Monday, April 14, from 12-4 p.m. in the Walter Hall Rotunda.

The celebration of campus and community sustainability efforts is part of the Earth Day celebrations being held around the world. The International Earth Day Network collaborates with partners in more than 192 countries to support environmental protection and peace.

Hosted by the Office of Sustainability, the Earth Day activities at Ohio University are free and open to the public.

As spring blooms in Athens, the town’s cherry blossom trees, hiking trails and greenery invite locals and Ohio University Bobcats to relish in the relaxing atmosphere and enjoy the outdoors.

April not only symbolizes springtime in the neighborhood but also welcomes Athens Beautification Month, a time in which residents and Bobcats are encouraged to give back to the environment.

The Center for Community Engagement teams up with the Office of Sustainability each year to coordinate the events, all of which focus on areas of need.

As spring blooms in Athens, the town’s cherry blossom trees, hiking trails and greenery invite locals and Ohio University Bobcats to relish in the relaxing atmosphere and enjoy the outdoors.

April not only symbolizes springtime in the neighborhood but also welcomes Athens Beautification Month, a time in which residents and Bobcats are encouraged to give back to the environment.

The Center for Community Engagement teams up with the Office of Sustainability each year to coordinate the events, all of which focus on areas of need.

For many Bobcats, playing outside with different insects calls to mind a dirty, yet fun childhood. Luckily for Ohio University Bug Club (opens in a new window) members, reliving these happy memories and putting childhood passions into practice is possible with several insects to discover in Athens.

During a typical Sunday meeting, the club can be found exploring insects native to Athens, with the goal to save and protect. Species may be researched, relocated and cared for, further educating members and benefiting the environment.

For many Bobcats, playing outside with different insects calls to mind a dirty, yet fun childhood. Luckily for Ohio University Bug Club (opens in a new window) members, reliving these happy memories and putting childhood passions into practice is possible with several insects to discover in Athens.

During a typical Sunday meeting, the club can be found exploring insects native to Athens, with the goal to save and protect. Species may be researched, relocated and cared for, further educating members and benefiting the environment.

The Ohio Economic Development Association awarded the City of Athens the 2024 Gold Level Encouraging Environmental Excellence in Communities Award. The award recognizes an organization or local government’s commitment to environmental oversight and excellence.

Notable benefits of the award include enhanced environmental assistance from the Ohio EPA, reduced time to obtain permit modifications and marketing opportunities to highlight environmental accomplishments.

To obtain the award, the city had to complete environmental, economic and social sustainability requirements and meet at least 12 of the EPA’s criteria.

Policies such as banning plastic bag usage and increasing the use of solar energy have helped Athens earn the award. 

The Ohio Economic Development Association awarded the City of Athens the 2024 Gold Level Encouraging Environmental Excellence in Communities Award. The award recognizes an organization or local government’s commitment to environmental oversight and excellence.

Notable benefits of the award include enhanced environmental assistance from the Ohio EPA, reduced time to obtain permit modifications and marketing opportunities to highlight environmental accomplishments.

To obtain the award, the city had to complete environmental, economic and social sustainability requirements and meet at least 12 of the EPA’s criteria.

Policies such as banning plastic bag usage and increasing the use of solar energy have helped Athens earn the award. 

President Donald Trump was inaugurated Jan. 20 as the 47th president of the United States. For many Americans, this was a day of shared loss and national frustration. On Inauguration Day, climate change mitigation group Sunrise Movement Athens hosted a meeting to offer a healing space, organized by co-Presidents Maeve Fellerhoff and Celia Hawk. 

President Donald Trump was inaugurated Jan. 20 as the 47th president of the United States. For many Americans, this was a day of shared loss and national frustration. On Inauguration Day, climate change mitigation group Sunrise Movement Athens hosted a meeting to offer a healing space, organized by co-Presidents Maeve Fellerhoff and Celia Hawk. 

Ohio University was recognized as Ohio’s top Green School (opens in a new window) by The Princeton Review for 2025. The University is ranked among the Top 50 Green Schools nationally. Recognized for its healthy quality of life and outstanding academic programs, the school is also dedicated to sustainability practices.

The Princeton Review (opens in a new window) chose colleges based on a 2023-2024 survey. The survey asked administrators at almost 600 institutions about their sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. Students attending these colleges were also surveyed about their “green campus experiences.”

“Data from the student survey included student assessments of the influence of sustainability issues on their academic and campus experiences; administrator and student support for environmental awareness and conservation efforts; and the visibility and impact of student environmental groups on the campus,” The Princeton Review wrote in a press release.

The sustainability efforts and practices at OU are possible with the Office of Sustainability (opens in a new window) ensuring “fulfillment of institutional commitments to environmental, social and economic well-being,” as well as with the help of students, organizations and clubs.

The Sierra Student Coalition (opens in a new window) is a group of passionate students who explore, enjoy and protect the planet while working with the Ohio Chapter of the Sierra Club. The Coalition was founded by students (opens in a new window) as an independent organization in 2005 and in the past has hosted events such as Divest Fest and coordinated with the annual Environmental Justice Summit.

The organization involves the local community through not only volunteer work but often partners with local organizations to raise environmental awareness on OU’s campus and in the Athens community.

Catherine Galla, a senior studying environmental studies and co-president of the Sierra Student Coalition, discussed the club’s efforts to educate others with activism.

“We plug different activist group meetings at Village Bakery or different things going on,” Galla said. “Maybe the Office of Sustainability has an event that we want to make sure everyone knows about and then we've also been doing more of a hands-on approach.”

She also mentioned the Coalition has done an invasive species removal with the Athens Conservancy as well as guided hikes that follow the Leave No Trace principles (opens in a new window).

Galla also talked about the collaboration between the university and community members, touching on bigger organizations that have “really put a lot forward for justice and environmental justice.”

“Just definitely bridging the gap between what the community is needing and what the students are able to provide, specifically with those invasive species removals and information on the plastic bag ban, like the stuff that is present in the community, increasing that accessibility so that (students) can go out there and be a part of it,” Galla said.

Maddy Lucas, a junior studying environmental and plant biology and the vice president of the Sierra Student Coalition, said she uses the Coalition for community outreach and sees a difference in the community.

“I think, honestly, I’m not surprised (about the ranking) because Athens does so much stuff to try to further sustainability,” Lucas said.

Katherine Zonner, a freshman studying outdoor recreation and education and the Secretary for the Sierra Student Coalition, spoke about the importance of students having knowledge of their surroundings.

“I think that’s definitely important, as well as just keeping people informed of what’s going on, like our natural world on campus is definitely a really big thing,” Zonner said.

She also added students in recreation classes could realize the region’s great nature trails and understand that they need upkeep.

The sustainability efforts of student organizations and clubs like the OU Sierra Student Coalition are large contributors to The Princeton Review’s ranking OU received. Students, administrators and the local community have advocated for sustainability efforts and The Princeton Review recognized OU for just that. 

Ohio University was recognized as Ohio’s top Green School (opens in a new window) by The Princeton Review for 2025. The University is ranked among the Top 50 Green Schools nationally. Recognized for its healthy quality of life and outstanding academic programs, the school is also dedicated to sustainability practices. 

Ohio University has been recognized as the top “Green School” in the state of Ohio, and among the “Top 50 Green Schools” nationally, within the Princeton Review’s 2025 Guide to Green Colleges.(opens in a new window) (opens in a new window)

As part of this list, OHIO is being recognized for its “superb sustainability practices, a strong foundation in sustainability education and a healthy quality of life for students on campus.”

Ohio University has been recognized as the top “Green School” in the state of Ohio, and among the “Top 50 Green Schools” nationally, within the Princeton Review’s 2025 Guide to Green Colleges.(opens in a new window) (opens in a new window)

As part of this list, OHIO is being recognized for its “superb sustainability practices, a strong foundation in sustainability education and a healthy quality of life for students on campus.”

On Tuesday, students walked across campus proudly displaying “I Voted” stickers stuck to their short-sleeved t-shirts. Voters basked on College Green, taking in a balmy 75-degree day before the election results arrived. Later that night, Donald Trump was announced as the 47th President of the United States, along with his drastic climate policies. 

On Election Day, cities (opens in a new window) nationwide set records for high temperatures. Around the world, scientists (opens in a new window) clamored to spread the news that 2024 will be the first year on record to breach the 1.5-degree Celsius warming limit. Each data set is a testament to the importance of climate change policy.

Yet, despite recent devastating environmental events, climate change took a backseat (opens in a new window) during this year's election cycle. Hurricanes (opens in a new window) Milton and Helene tore across entire towns, wiping out whole communities. Droughts (opens in a new window) raged through Southeast Ohio, snapping the agriculture industry under its impacts. The U.S. lost billions (opens in a new window) of dollars to environmental disasters in the last year.

Elected officials determine the next steps for climate policy. By electing Donald Trump as president, the U.S. has put him in charge of deciding our future climate. Examining his last presidential term puts what awaits ahead for climate change policy into perspective.