An Adirondack Semester class with biology professor Brad Baldwin, at right

9/2/11

Environmental Initiatives At SLU Get National Media Attention

CANTON - Two of St. Lawrence University's distinctive environmental initiatives have garnered attention from the national news media recently. The University's Adirondack Semester of study was the subject of a feature story in Sierra magazine's September/October "Cool Schools" issue and St. Lawrence's annual list of "green" tips for residence hall life was featured on the Huffington Post website.

Sierra, the magazine of the Sierra Club, publishes an annual ranking of the country's "greenest" colleges. This year, they chose 113 colleges, including St. Lawrence. In addition, the magazine includes a two-page feature spread on the Adirondack Semester, where about a dozen students live and take courses together in a remote area of the state's Adirondack Park. The program has previously been featured in the New York Times, The Times of London and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

While virtually every college sends students a list of "must-haves" for living in residence halls, for many years St. Lawrence has provided new students with an alternative list - a "green" list that outlines what students should bring and not bring with them. The list encourages students to think carefully about environmental sustainability.

St. Lawrence's alternative list was published on the Huffington Post website, with a slideshow of photos from the University. The list has previously been featured on Martha Stewart's Sirius radio network and the radio program "Green Is Good."

The University's Board of Trustees voted in 2006 to include environmental responsibility among St. Lawrence's core educational values. This year, an ambitious Climate Action Plan for carbon neutrality by 2040 gained approval from all campus governance groups, including the Board of Trustees at its May meeting.

"A Semester in the Woods," from Sierra

"Green Tips for Dorm Living" in the Huffington Post