University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa students who are interested in hands-on ways of tackling sustainability issues, and conducting outreach in the community, there is a place in the Student Sustainability Council (SSC) for you.
SSC collaborates with the UH Office of Sustainability to reflect student interests and provide engaging events. Faculty and staff can also join the council as non-voting members.
The group has helped reduce the waste of hundreds of unused books in the UH Mānoa Department of English. SSC coordinates book fairs in collaboration with the Native Hawaiian Place of Learning Advancement Office and other UH units. Students, faculty, staff and community members are able to stop by and grab books for free.
“Some people stopped by and stayed for hours looking through all of the books we had at the last Earth Day Fair,” said Rebecca Barone, SSC coordinator and UH Mānoa graduate student. “We were able to give away more than half of the books the English department had, and eliminated hundreds of pounds of book waste.”
The group regularly collaborates with the UH Campus Arboretum, organizing landscape cleanups at different sites around UH Mānoa. Students also learn how to identify different plants on campus and are taught how to identify the right plant for the right place.
“I would encourage other students to join because it’s a good, accessible way to help make a positive impact in the community,” said Aryeh Tenbroek, a junior in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. “The meetings are welcoming and casual and provide low-commitment opportunities to get involved on campus for busy students.”
In April, SSC will have events throughout Earth Month with opportunities to engage in sustainability initiatives. More information and registration. If you would like to participate in the UH Earth Fair on the Mānoa Campus on April 22, you can register online.
Register for email notifications for the SSC monthly meeting.
