Western Sustainability

Western Sustainability Western Washington University's Sustainability Engagement Institute develops educational opportuniti

We work to integrate sustainability into Western's culture, academics and student life while utilizing student energies for realization of sustainability initiatives. We provide a liaison to sustainability initiatives on campuses regionally and nationally, and build connections between Western and the greater Bellingham community. Our goals for Western include the following:

To develop a unified

set of sustainability metrics and indicators with the purpose of building awareness and understanding on campus. To conduct a baseline assessment of present efforts at Western. To create a vision and strategic plan that outlines steps needed for Western to lead in sustainable practices using our natural, financial and human resources. To advise on effective step-by-step implementation so our respective academic programs and operations can become leaders by example through their efforts.

Signs of a new season are abound here at the SEI office… Have a great spring break, Vikings! If you’re leaving town, rem...
03/20/2025

Signs of a new season are abound here at the SEI office… Have a great spring break, Vikings! If you’re leaving town, remember to power down:

- Turn off the lights
- Turn down the heat
- Unplug any appliances and electronics not in use
- Store your bike safely inside
- Water your plants

We’ll see you in the spring!

01/21/2025

Here’s part two of our tour with the WWU Grounds Team! If you missed part one, it’s only a couple spots back in our main feed. Shoutout to the Grounds Team for letting us tag along and working hard to shrink their environmental impact!

Are you interested in learning more about sustainable land practices and ready to get your hands dirty? , , and all run regular work parties! Check out their pages for winter dates.

01/14/2025

Are you nostalgic for WWU’s summer gardens? Check out part one of a tour we did with the Grounds Team! They’re going the extra mile to integrate sustainable practices in their management of our beautiful campus.

Stay tuned for more from this tour in the coming weeks!

Check out Western’s sustainability dashboards! Link in bio!
12/04/2024

Check out Western’s sustainability dashboards! Link in bio!

Join us tomorrow at lunch for our Sustainable Student Life webinar! We’ll be talking with student and staff leaders abou...
11/18/2024

Join us tomorrow at lunch for our Sustainable Student Life webinar! We’ll be talking with student and staff leaders about how they’re working to get students involved in social, economic, and environmental sustainability on and off campus. Registration link in bio

The application for the Climate Leadership Certificate is THIS SUNDAY, October 27th! We are accepting applications from ...
10/21/2024

The application for the Climate Leadership Certificate is THIS SUNDAY, October 27th! We are accepting applications from those planning to graduate in 2026. Submit your application to [email protected] by midnight to be considered!

Don’t miss this opportunity to access valuable academic and professional experience and a tight-knit community of peers. Follow the link in our bio to learn more and apply!

Image 1: Three smiling people sit around a table and draw on white paper, with more people in the background.
Image 2: Several people jump in midair on a grassy lawn. Trees and sky are visible in the background.
Image 3: Two women stand on either side of a presentation with slide text reading “Food, Fertilizer, Fuel: Anaerobic Digestion at Western Washington University”. Several people sit with raised hands in the foreground.
Image 4: A person with a grey tee shirt and purple cap gestures amid a field of green produce. A greenhouse, sky, and trees are visible in the background.

Greetings from the Methow! The fourth cohort of Climate Leadership Certificate students had a chance to reunite this pas...
08/08/2024

Greetings from the Methow! The fourth cohort of Climate Leadership Certificate students had a chance to reunite this past weekend in Twisp, WA. Half the cohort are completing internships at sustainability-oriented organizations in Bellingham, while the other half are doing the same across the Methow Valley, along with Sustainability Pathways students. They created cyanotype prints with artist Laura Gunnip of Fireweed Print Shop, reflected on their summer career experiences, and did plenty of frolicking!

Curious about the Climate Leadership Certificate, Sustainability Pathways, or how to get involved? Head to our website at the link in bio.

Image 1: 8 students circle a table covered in art supplies.
Image 2: 4 students swim in a bright blue lake with mountains in the background.
Image 3: 6 students circle a table with art supplies on it. The artist holds up a paper with bright blue print.
Image 4: 4 students sit on blankets, playing board games, in a large outdoor area.

Here are WWU’s Sustainability Action Plan highlights from the Campus and Community Engagement chapter for Academic Year ...
07/05/2024

Here are WWU’s Sustainability Action Plan highlights from the Campus and Community Engagement chapter for Academic Year 2023!
Western’s Community Farm
In 2023, Western’s Center for Community Learning began managing a community farm in Bellingham’s Birchwood neighborhood called City Sprouts Farm. The City Sprouts team started a seed-saving project, provided produce to a local community health center’s free farm stand, and connected with nearby neighborhoods.
 
Learning Together Through Climate Upheaval
Western’s Sustainability Engagement Institute, Center for Community Learning, and community partners hosted the Learning Together Through Climate Upheaval series, a set of forums that focused on engaging the Western and Bellingham community on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. We wrapped up the Spring 2024 forums but keep an eye out more of these forums in the fall!
 
Creating the World’s Most Sustainable Cross-Border Mega-Region
Western’s Border Policy Research Institute (BPRI) continued to participate in efforts to make Western Washington and British Columbia the most sustainable cross-border mega-region, an initiative called the Cascadia Innovation Corridor. In Academic Year 2023, BPRI participated in two events that focused on recognizing and strengthening cross-border collaboration and integration.

We’re very excited to be able to accept SNAP/EBT benefits for our Viking Supported Agriculture CSA boxes from delivere...
06/05/2024

We’re very excited to be able to accept SNAP/EBT benefits for our Viking Supported Agriculture CSA boxes from delivered to our office in High Street Hall on campus from June 13 through November 21, 2024! Sign up today on Viva’s website. Link in profile.

Check out Western’s new emissions dashboard! It shows details about our emissions reduction goals and ways we’re working...
06/04/2024

Check out Western’s new emissions dashboard! It shows details about our emissions reduction goals and ways we’re working to meet these goals.
Image description: a snapshot of a new emissions dashboard webpage with highlights and a graph showing Western’s emissions over the last 10 years.

Climate Leadership Certificate students complete senior projects as the final piece of this program, and their presentat...
06/03/2024

Climate Leadership Certificate students complete senior projects as the final piece of this program, and their presentations are coming up! Join us in ISB 242 on Thursday, June 6th at 6:00pm and Tuesday, June 11th at 4:00pm to celebrate the work of these awesome students! Below are the wide range of topics and the presentation schedule:

Thursday, June 6, 6:00pm:
🌿Leftover Food Alert System
🌿Sustainable Lab Certification
🌿Western Worn Community Closet
🌿Sustainable Solutions: Enhancing Waste Management at WWU
🌿On Campus Rock Wall

Tuesday, June 11, 4:00pm:
🌿Tiny Farm CSA
🌿Plant Yourself in the PNW
🌿Food for Thought: Food Systems Mapping and Goals at WWU
🌿Climate Storytelling for Hope and Agency
🌿DEI in Environmental Education
🌿Green Growth: Sustainable Investing in and institutional Setting

Image Description: Two smiling students presenting a CLC senior project in front of an audience. Many audience members raise their hands to ask questions.

As a final senior project, one of the seniors in the Climate Leadership Certificate Program taught a class on Climate St...
05/29/2024

As a final senior project, one of the seniors in the Climate Leadership Certificate Program taught a class on Climate Storytelling for hope, agency, and community-building, and this showcase is a culmination of all this effort. Join us in the Underground Coffeehouse on May 31st at 5:30 for a celebration of the variety of stories that relate to climate issues!

Address

High Street Hall 25, 516 High Street
Bellingham, WA
98225

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+13606502491

Website

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