As an environmental studies major, I’m probably obligated to say that outside is the best place you could possibly be – and when you don’t have seasonal allergies, that’s probably significantly more true! But even just a breeze through the open window in my room or the short walk between classes when it’s nice out helps me breathe easier, and I’m very much looking forward to cooler autumn nights with a blanket and a cup of tea on the porch of my house.
My preferred form of outdoor activity this semester has been nature photography, but there are a lot of ways people on campus choose to spend time outside – and probably even more at different schools in different places! Some of the Augustana favorites are taking a walk on the Slough path, studying in lawn chairs and at picnic tables outside dorms and academic buildings, and hammocking in the quad. Campus is beautiful, but not very suited to roller blading (one of my favorite ways to exercise in high school), although plenty of students use bikes, scooters, and skateboards to get around.
To care for ourselves, we also need to care for the environment around us. On Sunday, September 29, Augustana’s Sierra Club environmental group hosted our annual Trash Dash, a fundraising activity where students sign up in small groups and compete to collect the most trash around campus for the chance to win a prize! Greek life groups and other clubs are encouraged to participate, as they can earn homecoming event points for their contributions, but students can participate individually, with friends, or with a larger organization. This year’s Trash Dash collected 704.7 lbs of trash from around campus, ensuring that it is disposed of safely and properly. Sierra Club also started off this year with an Invasive Species Walk, where members carefully removed non-native plant species from one of Augustana’s natural areas.
So… what can you do?
Throw away trash in the appropriate bins (not library book drops, not recycling bins, and not on the ground). Educate yourself on recycling in your area – either the school itself or the city have recycling guidelines on what can be recycled. Make sure to remove food scraps and waste from recyclables before placing them in the bins – rinsing soda bottles, milk cartons, and drink cans is often forgotten or overlooked, but it only takes about a minute. Talk to your campus’s environmental group and see how environmental consciousness is applicable to your campus – there will be differences between Augustana, with about 2,500 students, and bigger schools with 10 times the population.
If you’re interested in reaching out to Augustana’s Sierra Club (for collabs, ideas, whatever!) you can contact me (email: kaitlintroha22@augustana.edu) and I can connect you or message @augie.sierraclub on Instagram!