Earth Day and sustainability within the community
Photo courtesy of Alex Indigo / Wikimedia Commons
Each year, on Apr. 22, Earth Day is celebrated by many across the nation. It is a day to give back and appreciate all that the Earth provides for us.
SUNY Geneseo prioritizes sustainability in multiple ways. The college has joined conversations at the United Nations in order to start using the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
As of 2024, SUNY Geneseo is considered to be “one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the nation.” According to the Geneseo website, “The Princeton Review chose the schools for the guide based on its survey of administrators at 680 schools about their institutions’ commitments to the environment and sustainability, including dining options, policies, and more. Surveys of students attending the schools were also considered. The company’s editors analyzed survey data points to select the 522 Green College schools.”
The Geneseo President's Commission on Sustainability, established in 2012, formed the Office of Sustainability in 2014 alongside the college. As of 2021, SUNY Geneseo has added a Sustainability Studies major and minor for interested students.
SUNY Geneseo and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) have formed a partnership as well, allowing Geneseo students to be admitted into RIT’s Sustainable Systems master’s program. Geneseo’s sustainability program meets the guidelines for the RIT MS degree, which provides an excellent opportunity for students to further their sustainability studies. Students are exposed to various interdisciplinary programs and professional work experiences through opportunities such as these.
SUNY Geneseo always holds an abundance of events during the week of Earth Day. In recent years, Sustainability students have given demonstrations on composting, organized a tree-planting event, and held a Garden Fest.
On Apr. 22, the MacVittie College Union will host an event in honor of Earth Day. The Sustainability Club, Impact Earth, Livingston County Environmental Management Council, and Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS) will demonstrate multiple elements of sustainable lifestyles with fun, interactive events.
Letchworth Dining Complex will host activities on Apr. 24. This event, in collaboration with Impact Earth, will allow attendees to learn about sustainability within dining halls, composting, and how to re-establish SUNY Geneseo as a “green campus.”
The Genesee Valley Conservancy is holding an Earth Day cleanup on Apr. 22, 2025. Those interested in attending can RSVP on their website.
On Apr. 19, the Rochester Birding Association will hold an approximately two-mile walk during which participants will have the opportunity to see at least 40 bird species while also visiting nesting grounds, allowing individuals to interact with the earth and natural world in a different medium than many of the other events.
The SUNY Geneseo campus is home to the Spencer J. Roemer Arboretum, a great place to go and appreciate nature at any time. With around 20 acres of developing forest, visitors can experience a natural and serene setting. The Arboretum is an excellent sustainability project, as the area is meant to “preserve the natural world,” according to the Geneseo Website.
The eGarden is also a prominent sustainability project on campus. It was established in 2015 and is located in the northwest area of campus. Student research, organic farming, and composting take place here, and student volunteers are said to do most of the work on-site.