History of Sustainability

Sustainability efforts at Wartburg College began well before there was an actual sustainability department.

In 2007 the committee called Energy and Environmental Sustainability Initiative (EESI) was started by President Ohle with the idea of expanding sustainability on campus.

Over the years several events, programs and even competitions have been held to advance and promote sustainability on Wartburg’s campus. In 2009 a competition was held against Luther College to determine who could reduce their utility use in a given time. The “Wartburg-Luther Challenge” helped many students get involved in conserving energy. This challenge was continued as an intercampus competition with the February Green-a-Thon in 2010. In 2009 the Go Green Fair was started, which educates various aspects of sustainability through education and vendor booths.

Dining Services has initiated many new operational changes over the year to save resources. A couple of the more major achievements have been going tray-less in the Mensa and purchasing front-loading washers. Going tray-less has led to savings in water, the energy needed to heat the water, the number of dishes that need to be done, and the amount of food and water waste generated. The front-loading washers, over the period of 48 days, saved 14,976 gallons of water and have decreased the number of loads that need to be done each day.

Throughout the 09-10 school year EESI, Student Senate and Physical Plant joined forces to expand the availability of recycling across campus in both the academic buildings and the residence halls. After much trial and error recycling has rooted itself on campus in both the academic and residential buildings and is still growing.

During the 2009-2010 school year the sustainability efforts on Wartburg’s campus were led by Jen Wendland, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer. Jen’s year-long appointment helped to advance the sustainability efforts on campus. However, once Jen’s appointment was complete it became obvious that the time had come for a Wartburg to hire a permanent staff position. In late 2010 and early 2011 the EESI committee took on the daunting challenge of developing a position description, posting, accepting and reviewing applicants. Eventually several interviews and many hours of work resulted not only the hiring of a staff person, but the development of the Sustainability Department at Wartburg College.

In March 2011 Anne Duncan joined the college as the Environmental Sustainability Coordinator. The department has 1-3 student positions each semester which help implement programs, events and initiatives. The 2011-2012 will be the first full year since the department has been created, and we look forward to see what the year will bring.

Contact Information

Wartburg College
100 Wartburg Blvd
Old Main 15
Waverly, IA 50677
sustainability@wartburg.edu
Office (319) 352-8536
Fax (319) 352-8202
(picture of Old Main to right)

Environmental Sustainability Coordinator
Anne Duncan
anne.duncan@wartburg.edu

Anne started with Wartburg College in March of 2011 as the first hire in the newly created Sustainability department on campus. Ms. Duncan came with professional experience in conservation, administration, fund raising, outdoor recreation and a passion for decreasing our footprint.

Student Employees
The following are members of the student body who work with the sustainability office to implement initiatives, manage the office needs and work with the Wartburg community to live and operate sustainably.

Ashley Dickinson
A member of the 2014 class, Ashley is majoring in communications. Ashley braves all seasons of weather to collect the recycling materials from most of the resident halls, assists with odd needs in the physical plant and helps plan and implement events sponsored by the sustainability office.

Cassandra Brooks
Cassie is working toward an independent major in child life psychology and intends a 2013 graduation. She also helps collect the recycling materials throughout the year, helps in the physical plant and helps plan and implement events sponsored by the sustainability office.

Michael Stevenson
Michael will be a 2012 graduate and has been working in the Sustainability office since Summer 2011. Michael is a Biology major. This summer he helped design and implement initiatives throughout campus in preparation of the returning student body. Michael is also a member of the Wartburg Garden Coalition.

Emily Rogers
Emily (’14) is working in the sustainability office to promoting campus outreach. She is a Biology major with a Psychology minor. Emily will be involved in Homecoming, RecycleManiacs, Go Green Fair, Graduation pledge and regular campus outreach. She is also a member of Earth, a campus organization dedicated to help the Wartburg campus be green.

If you are interested in working for the Sustainability office as a student worker, intern or volunteer please contact Anne Duncan.