Like so many individuals and groups around the world, many at James Madison University had planned to celebrate this 50^th anniversary of Earth Day with on campus and community events. Multiple units at JMU, including the Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World (ISNW), had invested months in planning. While the energetic and meaningful in person dialogues are now rescheduled due to COVID-19, JMU has adapted and continued. As just a few examples, designs for a grant-funded food forest continue being developed across three colleges with communications taking place through email and phone calls, the ISNW and Facilities Management sustainability team at JMU submitted a renewal application to remain a Virginia Environmental Excellence Program Sustainability Partner, and this week the ISNW is working closely with members of the JMU Student Government Association to discuss sustainability-related accomplishments and next steps for our institution.

We hope you will join us virtually and be inspired to further action. In celebration of the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day, we invite you to explore 50 examples of the ways the JMU community engages in sustainability challenges and solutions – every day. We believe these illustrate how JMU fulfills its commitment to a sustainable future. We consider our impact on the larger human and ecological communities of which we are a part – from here in the Shenandoah Valley to globally. As an institution of higher education, we contribute through education, scholarship, civic and community engagement, operations, and through our lifestyle choices as individuals.  Environmental stewardship forms part of our culture and our broader sense of citizenship. Together, we can make a positive impact. 

Thank you,

Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World Team
Christie-Joy Hartman, Executive Director
Amanda Bodle, Program Manager
Madiha Patel, Administrative Office Specialist
Essa Paterson, Program Coordinator
Christy Bradburn, Student Program Coordinator
Vanessa Ehrenpreis, Sustainability Analyst

Learning more

1. Opportunities to learn about the environment and sustainability in courses are not limited to students in environmental programs. All undergraduate students can enroll in General Education courses about the environment through Cluster 3: The Natural World. Courses include GEOL 115: Earth Systems, Cycles and Human Impact and ISAT 100: Environmental and Energy Sustainability. For students who want to delve deeper, from Sociology to Communication Studies, many of JMU’s academic units offer courses that are sustainability-inclusive and/or sustainability-focused. Some courses that explore the environmental dimension of sustainability, such as Econ 305: Environmental Economics and ISAT 424: Natural Resource Management, help students develop environmental stewardship knowledge and reasoning skills relevant to their academic program. Learn more about course offerings related to the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability.

2. Over a decade ago, JMU adopted a formal commitment to building an environmentally literate community whose members think and act as stewards of the natural world. In moving toward this goal, the ISNW Education and Scholarship Committee developed four environmental stewardship learning outcomes, which are organized by the ISNW, for undergraduate students. One overarching outcome, “Students will be able to explain the interdependence of natural systems and the social, economic, and ethical facets of global and local issues” is among the outcomes for General Education Cluster 3: The Natural World. Student achievement of this outcome is measured as part of JMU’s university-wide assessment process.

3. "Immersive courses regularly offered by JMU faculty members in, for example, Costa Rica, Germany, Kenya and Tanzania, explicitly focus on human-environment interactions and conceptualizations of sustainability/appropriate technology. These study abroad programs promote place-based learning to explore dimensions of rural life, impacts of major cities, varied land uses and pressures on the land, and use and potential of renewable resources, among other things. No matter what your major, there are programs available that will serve you well as you learn more about the three pillars of sustainability – environmental, social, and economic.” -Jennifer Coffman, Ph. D., Associate Executive Director, Center for Global Engagement   
Find study abroad opportunities focused on the three dimensions of sustainability: environmental, economic and social at the CGE website.

4. JMU Libraries facilitate sustainability-related research by assisting students and employees with finding, evaluating, and using information for assignments and projects. JMU’s Science and Math Librarian is a liaison to Biology, Biophysical Chemistry, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Geology & Environmental Science, Mathematics, Physics & Astronomy, and Statistics and maintains an Energy and the Environment Guide. Students and employees can make an appointment with librarians to obtain assistance with research.

7. Using a JMU Provost Research Award in 2016, Dr. Mikaela Schmitt-Harsh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies, and three Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies students inventoried over 450 trees on campus and developed “Trees of James Madison University,” a walking tour of the diversity of trees on campus. As indicated, the tour highlights the diversity of trees on campus and demonstrates how applied student learning can contribute to sustainability. An expanded tree inventory effort in cooperation with Facilities Management is underway.

Doing more

8. "Community Service-Learning is dedicated to educating students about environmental and sustainability issues and inspiring student action. Our Alternative Breaks partner with community organizations locally, nationally, and internationally to explore the effects of topics like climate change, loss of biodiversity, and the imperative to conserve threatened habitats and species and participate in solutions. Students participating in our Service-Learning program enroll in courses designed by JMU faculty members in a wide-range of disciplines.”  -Steve Grande, Ph.D., Director, Community Service-Learning 
Take part in an environment-focused Alternative Break trip, visit the CS-L website.

15. Multiple youth programs at JMU inspire the next generation of scientists and environmental stewards by providing engaging, hands-on learning experiences. As one example, the Science Explorers Camp engages elementary, middle, and high school students in separate week-long investigations of different areas of science, including biology, earth science, chemistry, forensic science, physics and astronomy, and more. Learn about this and other opportunities through Professional & Continuing Engagement.

16. Learning is a lifelong endeavor, and JMU’s Lifelong Learning Institute offers courses for continued exploration of important environmental concepts and issues. Exploring Ecosystems of the Valley takes learners on excursions to different ecosystems here in the Shenandoah Valley. The course explores native plants or animals known to occur in these places and the importance of their roles in the ecosystem. Learn about current environment-related and other continuing education opportunities at the at the Lifelong Learning Institute.

Leading by example

17. Environmental stewardship and sustainability can be components of undergraduate student research across disciplines. As a senior Geology major, Michelle Proulx (’18), conducted research on non-invasive methods to locate and identify antebellum slave cemeteries in an effort to preserve the burial sites and the environmental features of the surrounding grounds, which often include rivers already facing significant erosion or trees that are more than 100 years old. With travel funding from the ISNW, Michelle presented her work, "Reclaiming history with geophysics: using ground-penetrating radar to confirm the locations of antebellum African-American cemeteries," at the Geological Society of America conference in Seattle, Washington (2017). Full-time undergraduate students can apply for conference support to present scholarly and creative work related to environmental stewardship and sustainability.

21. JMU boasts the first renovated residence hall in the United States to achieve platinum-level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in 2012. Unique features include a ground source heat pump that contributes to the building’s 39% reduction in energy consumption. In addition, a 10,000 gallon cistern holds rainwater that is used for toilet flushing, which helps achieve 68% water savings.

Being the change

29. The landscaping on campus not only looks beautiful, but reflects intentional decisions to reduce water use and improve water quality. As just one example of actions to reduce water use, JMU reduced annual planting areas - which typically require more watering than perennials - by 46% between 2015 and 2019. This decreased JMU’s potable water consumption by an estimated 78,000 gallons per year!

30. Replacing vehicle use with more sustainable modes of transportation, such as bicycling and walking, can result in significant environmental and health benefits. JMU’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan was structured around the 5E's (Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation & Planning) as promoted by the American Bicycle Institute. The Plan includes short-term, medium-term, and long-term infrastructure investments, and educational and encouragement programs. The Plan was developed in 2014 and since then the University has invested more than $1.9 million in infrastructure. To learn more about the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and other campus bicycle resources visit https://www.jmu.edu/transportation/bicycletravel.shtml.

31. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, “The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. Making a new product requires a lot of materials and energy - raw materials must be extracted from the Earth, and the product must be fabricated then transported to wherever it will be sold.”  JMU Surplus Property provides a no-cost service for JMU units to obtain office equipment, supplies and furniture that are no longer needed by another unit. If Surplus Property does not have what you are looking for, Procurement Services has tips for how to purchase items that are either made of recyclable materials or are recyclable.

34 - 39. Examples of undergraduate capstone projects from the School of Integrated Sciences 2019 Senior Symposium illustrate how students at JMU, together with faculty advisors, are working toward creative solutions to complex environmental problems:

• A Political Ecology of "High Impact Learning" Through Study Abroad 
  Maja Jankowska, Jackie Pickford, Richard Selamaj, Julia Wood (Page 10)
  
  
• Citizen Science on Virginia's Eastern Shore 
  Maren Luper (Page 19)
  
  
• The Impact of Tree Clearing on a Trout Stream Crossed by the Atlantic Coast Pipeline Jack Schrof (Page 50)
  
  
• Bee Friendly: Methods for Increasing Pollinator Awareness and Conservation
  Anna E. Hellwege-Bales, Molly Rooney, Francesca Marie Ross, Olivia Faye Massie, Christopher R. Quin, David A. Fish, Tristan Mariner, Willem G. Lensink (Page 71)
  
  
• Identifying Populations Vulnerable to Urban Heat in Bangkok, Thailand
  Rebekah Everett (Page 72)
  
  
• Using GIS to Evaluate Equity in Cycling Infrastructure in Virginia Cities
  Hannah Cacner (Page 73)

40 - 50. Read eleven articles about how Dukes – past and present - leverage their interests and experiences to advance sustainability on campus, in the community, and globally.