I recently got the opportunity to start writing for Facilities Team Green and it has been pretty exciting so far. There are so many sustainability events organized by the team which are quite fun to participate in. I was first introduced to the team during the Shred Fest event during the summer of 2019. Since then I have occasionally collaborated with the team; this summer I was working on mapping hydration stations around River Campus and associated areas. Earlier this semester I got the opportunity to join Facilities Team Green as the new writing intern. Not only do I get to write about the events the team holds, but I also get to help organize them!
I have been enjoying all the events the team has been involved in so far. Last Friday I was at Witmer House and helped in the installation of the University’s first ever pollinator garden! I discovered my passion for gardening earlier this year when everyone was working from home during the COVID 19 pandemic. I picked up gardening as a hobby and since then my indoor garden which started from one tomato plant has expanded to quite a lot which I am really proud of! So the planting at Witmer House was a really nice and relaxing way for me to spend my morning; the weather was not too bad either so I really enjoyed being outdoors, planting the small, new plants. I’m really excited to see how the garden turns out once the plants fully mature! Another event that happened last Friday was the annual E Cycle day event where people can drop off their electronics that they don’t use anymore to be recycled. This year we actually received a record amount of electronics, a total of 37,558 pounds!
Facilities Team Green has a lot of other exciting events coming up. There’s a tour of the High Acres landfill facility coming up on Friday November 12. There is also a study break being planned for December in collaboration with Dining Team Green where students will get to decorate their own reusable mugs! The semester is ramping up as finals season approaches so this study break will be a great way to de-stress! We also do some cool giveaways from time to time as well so keep your eyes open for those! Follow us on instagram to keep up with all the exciting events happening this semester.
Written by Hanyia Ahmed, Class of 2022