The State of the Office of Sustainability 

Two years ago, the director of Evergreen’s Office of Sustainability (OOS) left, and last year, the college confirmed the position will not be refilled. The OOS has been dissolved until further notice. 

This office managed critical responsibilities, including: 

  • Evergreen’s Greenhouse Gas emissions reporting (for state compliance) 
  • AASHE STARS sustainability metrics 
  • Zero waste and carbon reduction goals 
  • Development of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) in 2007
  • Assisting with Sustainable Campus Infrastructure development (greenhouses, bike repair stands, waste audits/education, etc.) 

With the office closed, there is no active climate/sustainability action plan on campus. However, a portion of the former OOS Director’s FTE will be generously supporting the CCAS as it continues to provide some overlapping services such as facilitating Evergreen’s off-campus contacts and communications. It will not be involved with infrastructure planning or projects. 

Facilities/Operations has completed CCA building audits and a Decarbonization Plan for the Department of Commerce (supported by $600K in grants from the Department), entered into a Demand Response Agreement to reduce utility usage, and submitted EPA and Department of Ecology Greenhouse reports. It will also be monitoring updates to CETA and CBPS. 

Facilities believes that including a section on Sustainability/Climate Action should be considered in the approaching updates to the Campus Infrastructure Master Plan, to support the recent college strategic plan. The administration’s hope is to have student engagement with all aspects of the college regarding sustainability. 

For questions or concerns regarding the long-term continuation of the remaining OOS roles and the campus’ environmental stewardship goals, the best points of contact for campus operations/infrastructure sustainability would be the Facilities and Operations office and/or the President’s Office (President@evergreen.edu). 

The State of the Climate Center 

The Center for Climate Action and Sustainability (CCAS), housed in academics as a public service center, was asked by college leadership to focus primarily on off-campus partnerships and regional collaborations rather than internal operations. While CCAS will still offer classroom and student/faculty support, a majority of its projects and work will be in collaboration with off-campus state and non-profit entities, focusing on education development and ecological restoration work. This will also allow CCAS to expand its donor base and regional network.

In Spring, the CCAS Assistant Director submitted a grant proposal to fund MES Fellowship students revising and examining the outdated Climate Action Plan (CAP). The CCAS team explored options for an updated CAP, including renewable energy pathways, zero waste goals, and the potential for a Green Revolving Fund. However, both our internal assessment and administrative guidance make it clear that CCAS does not currently have the funding/staff capacity to take on the core duties of the former Sustainability Office.

Instead, as the OOS is not being reinstated, we are recommending that the college consider hiring an external consultant to lead the creation of a renewed climate or sustainability action plan, with CCAS available to support at a limited capacity. 

Shifting Priorities – Less On-Campus, More Regional Work 

Going forward, CCAS will emphasize: 

  • Off-Campus Community & Regional Research Projects: Brand new partnerships on efforts like Capital Lake/Deschutes Estuary restoration, Chehalis Basin planning, Oly Ecosystems’ projects, Thurston County’s Climate Action Plan, and statewide energy infrastructure will be taking us off-campus and working with the high schools, county, and Cascadia bioregion at large. 
  • Storytelling & Publicity: Amplifying Evergreen students’ and faculty’s sustainability projects and research, making the wider community aware of projects such as the MES thesis work, the new Mushroom Lab, and campus decarbonization efforts. 
  • Education & Engagement: Continuing classroom visits; guest lectures; and creating useful resources, climate-focused curriculum, and professional development opportunities for students and faculty. 
  • Graduate Fellowship Program: Continuing expansion from two to four fellows via matching endowment funding, supporting advanced research and project coordination for CCAS. 
  • Internships: Transitioning from paid to for-credit internships for the time being, and expanding partner opportunities and coordination with the new Internship Office. 

Campus project consultation efforts will also be put on the back burner, as the Public CoLab initiative (a physical and virtual hub space providing resources and assistance to students and the public with sustainability projects) was unfortunately not approved by our administration at this time. A future version may be developed when CCAS is able to find time for alternative ways to provide those services. 

Sustainability Across Campuses

Clean Energy Committee Welcomes New Student Crew 

This fall, the Clean Energy Committee (CEC) is excited to welcome a new cohort of student leaders dedicated to advancing sustainability and climate action on campus. Faculty and CCAS Director Dr. Anthony Levenda will continue to provide guidance, alongside Enija Reed, a second-year MES student with CCAS. As a result of last spring’s student vote to expand the green fee, CEC has increased funding to support educational programming and implement active solutions to reduce carbon emissions and promote climate resilience across Evergreen’s campus. This expansion empowers students to take a more active role in shaping Evergreen’s energy future through hands-on projects, outreach, and innovation. 

Residential & Dining Sustainability 

RAD Sustainability is launching fall outreach with new flyers and a feedback/suggestion form to engage students in sustainable living. While garden plots on lower campus are paused for seasonal bed rebuilding, students can access community plots at the Organic Farm. New beds near the Rec Pavilion are underway for the Edible Campus program, with expansion plans in motion, and CCAS will be helping convert the historic Aquaponics Greenhouse to a student-accessible greenhouse over the Fall Quarter, in time for winter gardening. 

The Bike and the Bees 

Evergreen’s sustainability efforts continue to buzz with student-led initiatives. Last year, students working with the Olympia Beekeeper’s Association received a grant from the City of Olympia’s Inspire program to fund up to five nucleus bee hives and supplies in partnership with Evergreen’s Sustainability in Prisons Project. While administrative staff ultimately decided the Organic Farm was unprepared to host the hives, three were successfully donated to the Freedom Farm, where students with Individual Learning Contracts (ILCs) tended to them throughout the summer. There is now a call to form a student club to support a long-term beekeeping program on campus. Interested students and faculty should reach out to faculty advocates:

Meanwhile, the Bikeshop Co-op is making strides toward a permanent campus home. Students collaborated with Facilities and received preliminary approval from the Space and Land Use Group (SLUG) to convert a staff/faculty lounge into a dedicated Bikeshop space, pending union agreement. To move forward, the Co-op will need to secure funding through proposals to the S&A Allocation Board and/or the Clean Energy Committee. For the space to be operational, Student Activities has requested an operations manual to address safety and staffing concerns—this was submitted at the start of summer and is currently under administrative review. 

Tacoma Campus Food Security

At Evergreen’s Tacoma Campus, students, staff, and faculty are working closely with local partners and community leaders to address food insecurity through sustainable, place-based solutions. These efforts include expanding access to existing community gardens and offering educational programming to empower residents with the skills to grow their own food. Additionally, the campus is continuing to develop its Hydroponics Lab as a hands-on learning and production space, supporting innovative approaches to urban agriculture and food justice.

Looking Ahead – Formation of the CSC 

While some of these transitions mean less direct support for on-campus sustainability projects, we’re working hard to build bridges between Evergreen and the broader community. A highlight will be Solarpunk Super Saturday this spring, a revival and reinvention of historic Evergreen traditions, blending campus and community in celebration of ecological imagination and action. 

If you’re a student, faculty, or staff member interested in shaping Evergreen’s sustainability future, we invite you to join the reinstated Campus Sustainability Council. This space will serve as a collaborative forum in which we can share ideas, coordinate efforts, and build momentum for climate action on campus. 

If you have questions, concerns, or stories of your own sustainability work to share, pleaseconnect with us at ClimateAction@evergreen.edu. 

We know some of these changes may be difficult to hear, and we share that sense of challenge. At the same time, we see this as a chance to grow Evergreen’s leadership in climate action through partnerships that connect the college to Cascadia and beyond.