鈥淲e鈥檙e playing fast and loose with God鈥檚 creation,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淚 feel as if I owe it to him,鈥� nodding toward his grandson, 鈥渢o leave our planet, our earthly home, in good shape.鈥�

The Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions, launched Thursday with a $1 million donation from Martin, will aid that goal. Led by EMU, the center will also include Goshen (Indiana) College and Mennonite Central Committee as founding institutions, with additional partners expected to join later.

鈥淭he Center will stimulate and motivate our commitment at all levels,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淚t will be a visible statement to the larger world that Mennonites are serious about climate change.鈥�

Collaboration with other like-minded groups and organizations will create 鈥渁n impact felt much beyond Mennonite circles,鈥� he added.

An oversight board, chaired by EMU provost , is developing more concrete plans and objectives for the Center. Kniss said the work will focus on four areas: connecting with a national and global network, researching best practices, educating by sharing findings, and innovating through new ideas and methods.

鈥淲hen a generous donor with a passion for addressing an important problem is able to link hands with an institution that shares his or her passion, good things can happen,鈥� Kniss said. 鈥淲e have an exciting year coming up. There鈥檚 a lot of work to do.鈥�

Mobilizing commitment

Each of the three founding partners will have two representatives on the oversight board, with , vice president and undergraduate academic dean, and , professor of biology, serving as the EMU representatives.

The interim EMU leadership team that will guide the work includes , associate professor of sociology; , sustainability coordinator; , director of institutional research; and , special projects support for the provost鈥檚 office. The oversight board expects to select a permanent director to start in fall 2017.

The new initiative fits well with a Mennonite tradition of 鈥渢ransformative education,鈥� said Interim President .

鈥淚t feels like today we are taking a rather bold step forward to address climate change,鈥� Snyder said. 鈥淗owever we are grounded in the strength of God鈥檚 faithfulness and a global faith community where we share the call to be good stewards of the planet for the well-being of all of God鈥檚 creatures.鈥�

Among those present to celebrate the launch were members of the climate change activism community, including The Rev. Mitch C. Hescox, president of ; Karen Leu, program coordinator of ; and Charlie Strickler, co-founder of , and several other members; and Tom Benevento, of .

Lead donor Martin prefers to be called an 鈥榠nvestor鈥� in the future

Martin, a native of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who now lives in northern Virginia, attended Eastern Mennonite College from 1959 to 1961 before finishing his bachelor鈥檚 degree in economics at Goshen. He went on to a long career in international development and global health work through USAID, the World Bank and other organizations.

This past April, he contacted EMU to broach the idea of making 鈥渁 major investment in addressing climate change.鈥�

Martin said he selected EMU to lead the effort due to his familiarity with the school, which was 鈥渉ugely formative鈥� in his life, along with EMU鈥檚 longstanding commitment to sustainability and its innovative, 鈥渃utting-edge鈥� spirit with initiatives like the and leadership for the program.

鈥淓MU鈥檚 history and the various programs that EMU conceptualized and launched were just evidence of an institution that had a lot going for it,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淚 came to see EMU was doing even more than I had realized, and I decided EMU as an institution to lead this might be a good bet.鈥�

Martin cited capital projects and curricular alignment as two overt signs of EMU鈥檚 commitment to . The campus has one of Virginia鈥檚 largest commercial-scale solar arrays atop Hartzler Library, as well as LEED-certified residence halls and other energy-efficient buildings, and five campus gardens.

EMU also offers a major in e and weaves creation care into curricular offerings. This scholarly commitment was solidified in EMU鈥檚 accreditation with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools by the inclusion of an expansive Quality Enhancement Plan titled .

A second partnership with MCC

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), meanwhile, received another major gift from Martin this past year to start a maternal-child health project in memory of Martin鈥檚 wife, Luann. MCC East Coast region executive director Bruce Campbell-Janz says he looks forward to partnering with the climate change effort, as well.

Quoting scripture from Hebrews 10, which encourages the church to 鈥減rovoke one another to love and good deeds,鈥� Campbell-Janz thanked Martin for his 鈥渉oly provocation鈥� on this issue.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited about the founding of the Center and the challenge it presents to MCC to deepen its engagement,鈥� Campbell-Janz said, noting the importance of climate change as a social justice issue. 鈥淭hose least responsible for the climate change process are often the most affected.鈥�

Likewise, Goshen College 鈥� which operates the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center and provides leadership for the Mennonite Creation Care Network 鈥� sees this new effort as a natural place for partnership.

鈥淭his work really does confirm our longtime commitment as a denomination to address climate change, environmental stewardship and the care of the creation that God has provided for us,鈥� Goshen College Provost Kenneth Newbold said. 鈥淚t gives us yet another tool and resource to advance the important efforts we have undertaken. We鈥檙e here to focus on solutions and take action.鈥�

Kniss, his EMU counterpart, said the oversight board will 鈥渇lesh out鈥� next steps in the coming months. An additional advisory board of experts will provide further input, and a broader consultation with partners is planned for spring 2017.

Laura Cattell Noll 鈥�09, a graduate student in environmental sciences at the University of Virginia, works with Professor James Galloway and project manager Elizabeth Castner on the 鈥淣-Print鈥� project and helped to connect EMU.

In addition to boosting awareness about nitrogen, the internationally supported project provides suggestions for reducing nitrogen pollution and provides institutions with targets for their reduction levels. UVA was the first to develop an institution-level model for measuring nitrogen footprints and began measurements in 2010. It aims to reduce its nitrogen levels 25 percent by 2025.

An initial cohort of six other institutions鈥攊ncluding EMU along with Brown University, Colorado State University, Dickinson College, the University of New Hampshire and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts鈥攋oined UVA in calculating their nitrogen usage.

A second cohort group has since started, and a third is preparing to begin.

The opportunity to participate in the research was one that coordinator couldn鈥檛 pass up.

鈥淭his was a great 鈥楢ha!鈥� to learn more about nitrogen and share with this community and to give me a chance to do some research about food usage on campus and to talk to dining services about food consumption,鈥� he says.

Cattell Noll, a former member of Earthkeepers, was delighted that her alma mater participated.

鈥淲hen EMU agreed to participate in the first cohort of schools to test the Institution Nitrogen Footprint Tool, I was thrilled to connect my current research with my efforts as an undergraduate,鈥� says Cattell Noll, an environmental science major who was active in EMU鈥檚 sustainability programs. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been fantastic to see how the addition of a nitrogen footprint has enhanced EMU鈥檚 sustainability efforts and improved our understanding of institutional sustainability.鈥�

[Read more about Cattell Noll’s .]

Nitrogen and carbon footprints equally important

Carbon footprints have received increasing attention as an environmental issue in recent years, but nitrogen has mostly flown under the radar鈥攗ntil now.

鈥淗uman activities have dramatically altered the nitrogen cycle over the past century,鈥� says Castner, N Footprint Project Manager in the UVA鈥檚 Department of Environmental Sciences. 鈥淣itrogen is essential for supporting a growing global population, but excess nitrogen has detrimental effects on the environment.鈥�

Castner says the impacts of nitrogen 鈥渁re not as simple to communicate鈥� as those of carbon footprints, 鈥渂ut they are equally important.鈥�

Among those effects, she says, are smog in urban areas, depletion of the ozone layer, acidification of aquatic systems, algae blooms, further build-up of greenhouse gases and forest mortality. At issue is not the inert nitrogen that naturally occurs in earth鈥檚 atmosphere but 鈥渞eactive nitrogen鈥濃�攂iologically and chemically active forms that interact with the environment in damaging ways. Human activities add nearly triple the amount of nitrogen annually than what would naturally occur.

Research involves dining services

Lantz-Trissel, in his position since 2010, is familiar with tracking EMU鈥檚 carbon footprint. It鈥檚 one of the responsibilities of his position and he鈥檚 helped EMU achieve for its efforts.

But a nitrogen footprint is different. It鈥檚 only recently that individuals have been able to track their own nitrogen footprint through the , launched in February 2011. Food production and consumption and energy usage are the biggest contributors.

EMU began its nitrogen measurements about two years ago, according to Lantz-Trissel. He says the inclusion of food as a key factor was particularly interesting.

鈥淚鈥檓 intrigued, because I think food is a great discussion point for sustainability in all its complicated facets,鈥� Lantz-Trissel says. 鈥淚t hits energy use, fertilizers, transportation, social justice, environmental racism, workers鈥� rights and more.鈥�

He says food services director Bruce Emmerson and his staff have been a great help in going through food purchases and other data to come up with numbers to enter into the calculator. Several students have also been helping with the research. EMU hasn鈥檛 set a formal goal for its nitrogen footprint yet, but Lantz-Trissel says the university has a head start.

鈥淲hile EMU needs to continue to work hard to reduce our nitrogen footprint, we鈥檙e a good ways ahead,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e have the lowest amount of nitrogen per person among participating institutions. We鈥檙e doing a lot of great things already.鈥�

鈥淲e have a great administration and staff doing a lot of great sustainability work, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for good ideas for sustainable improvement to sprout, especially from the student body,鈥� Horst said. 鈥淭he mini-grant competition really lives up to the spirit of organic grass-roots growth that we are modeling here. Sometimes, we don’t need a heavy document or big announcement to make our campus more sustainable.鈥�

This year鈥檚 winners admirably fit the bill: an exercise bike that feeds volts back into EMU鈥檚 , drip irrigation and hoop house聽 materials in the that contribute to better efficiency and productivity, and a filtered water station to increase use of non-disposable bottles.

Judges looked for projects that are creative, long-term and visible and have strong educational benefit and community collaboration, Horst said. Sustainability Coordinator and Professor Tara joined Horst in judging the six proposals from students, faculty, and staff members.

The sustainable stationary bike project, which was given $250, came about through such collaboration. Hannah Chappell-Dick and Rachel Sturm, representing Student Athletic Advisory Committee, contacted Ben Zook, with Engineers for a Sustainable World, about entering in an application for the sustainability grant.

鈥淭hey needed someone to build the project and we were happy to volunteer,鈥� Zook said, adding that the bike will be built in the fall.

One possible attraction for athletes who ride the bike for conditioning purposes is a display that 鈥渨ill show how much energy you are pumping back into the grid as you pedal,鈥� Zook said. 鈥淭here will also be a comparison meter to show the energy compared to a car, or a horse.鈥�

members were pleased to hear they鈥檇 been awarded a $500 mini-grant that will increase productivity and efficiency of their , said Josh Nyce, garden coordinator. SFI has one garden on drip, but now plans to install a drip system for the remaining two gardens, as well as increase production space in the hoop house.

鈥淭his type of irrigation will make our whole operation more efficient, improve our production and yield, and allow us spend more time on other tasks and projects to hopefully grow SFI,鈥� he said. 鈥淲atering in the hoop house will be so much easier, and will extend our growing season to provide us with fresh vegetables all year long at the SFI produce stand.鈥�

As for the bottle filling station, library director says she sees these 鈥渆verywhere.鈥�

The $250 grant will pay for a spigot on the first-floor water fountain to allow for easier filling of bottles, as well as a filtering station on the main floor.

The brand-new Campus Center, in 1986, was the first major building project that Eldon Kurtz oversaw on the 草莓社区 campus. Thirty years later, the new will be his last project. Kurtz, director, will retire at the end of the spring 2016 semester.

Despite his low profile, Kurtz has become an integral part of campus life and earned the admiration of many.

鈥淗e鈥檚 one of those classic lifelong learners,鈥� said Sustainability Coordinator . 鈥淗e鈥檚 very engaged on campus, on what students are talking about, and on what campus community is buzzing about.鈥�

Sophomore Josh Calderon, who worked with the physical plant as a summer conference and events assistant last summer, echoed Lantz-Trissel鈥檚 sentiments. 鈥淗e brings a different sort of care to the job,鈥� said Calderon. 鈥淗e not only works here, but if you walk into that stadium during a basketball game, you鈥檒l see him up there. That鈥檚 how you know someone loves his job.鈥�

Work-study position starts career

Kurtz鈥檚 story begins in 1973, when he enrolled at Eastern Mennonite College as an undergraduate student in the Bible department. Thanks to previous skill in the electrical trade, he immediately began working in a work-study position as an electrician for what was then known as the Building and Grounds Department.

Kurtz also was residence director in Oakwood men鈥檚 dorm, where he lived with his wife, Sharyl (their daughter Sara, who would eventually graduate from EMU, was born while they lived at EMU).

After graduation in 1976, Kurtz moved directly into the director of custodial services role, where he served for 9 months before being promoted into a newly created role of physical plant director where he remained until 1985.

Kurtz then worked with Brunk Mechanical in construction, which included overseeing construction for the new Campus Center.

Afterward, Kurtz parted ways with EMU until 1997, when his old job opened up. He was happy to return and has served as physical plant director ever since.

鈥淗e was the right person at the right place at the right time,鈥� said Lantz-Trissel. 鈥淗e graduated from here, and he was a trade person, and all that has been really important.鈥�

Sustainability initiatives implemented

Kurtz reflects that his greatest contribution of many may be the improvements in . 鈥淐ontrols in the old days were much more rudimentary,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e had a central heating plant and we distributed steam all over the campus. When I came back in 鈥�97, I dug up an old energy report from 1980, and I鈥檝e traced our energy usage, BTU per square feet.鈥�

Since that first report, Kurtz has overseen almost a tripling in heating efficiency, from 140,000 BTU per square feet to the current level of 45,000 BTU per square feet.

鈥漌e could easily be spending another $300,000 to half a million per year in energy costs if we hadn鈥檛 been operating with the kind of vigilance we have been doing,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur department has contributed pretty significantly to the reduction of costs to the university.鈥�

Energy reduction costs have not been the only significant changes ushered in under Kurtz. In his time, EMU has transformed its , constructed , built what was at the time the largest in Virginia, and grown in dozens of other ways.

鈥淓ven within two years here, so much has changed,鈥� said Calderon, noting that whenever an outdoor lamp goes out, 鈥淚 see one of these nice new LEDs pop up. I mean, that鈥檚 not something they have to do, they probably have extra fluorescents laying around, but he makes it happen anyway.鈥�

Cooperation, teamwork, customer service

Before any of these changes happened, however, Kurtz first wanted to foster an environment of loyalty and friendliness in the Physical Plant. His hard work appears to have paid off.

鈥淧robably the other thing I鈥檓 happiest and proudest about is having the good fortune to assemble a team of really excellent people and trying to engender a spirit of cooperation and teamwork and customer service,鈥� said Kurtz. 鈥淭hat was really important to me.鈥�

Andrew Troyer, a first-year work-study employee at the plant, noted the dedication and sincerity of his employers. 鈥淎 lot of nice people work in the Physical Plant,鈥� Troyer said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e just a fun group to work with. They鈥檒l let you try something out, give you an opportunity, and they鈥檙e willing to teach you stuff.鈥�

According to Lantz-Trissel, that receptiveness stems directly from Kurtz. 鈥淚f you take him some wild idea, he鈥檚 going to sit and listen to it,鈥� Lantz-Trissel said. 鈥淭hat means that EMU has pushed more boundaries because other schools are more rigid and say 鈥榥o鈥� more often than they ought. I remember early in my parenting years, Eldon sent me his advice for young parents: 鈥榃henever possible, say yes.鈥� He kind of runs with that mentality.鈥�

Kurtz, on the other hand, pins the success of his department to the people around him.

鈥淥ver the years, I鈥檝e been challenged by people that were better than me, but I鈥檝e learned that it鈥檚 better to have people who challenge me than surrounded by mediocre people,鈥� said Kurtz.

This June, Kurtz will conclude 19 years as physical plant director and over 30 total years of employment and service at EMU.

鈥淚t seems like it鈥檚 gone so fast, and I love the people here, and I鈥檓 so glad to have an environment where you鈥檙e trusted, and trusted to do the right thing for your employer,鈥� said Kurtz. 鈥淵ou can make a case for what you want to do, you know, and you generally get support. I鈥檓 just leaving to give someone else a chance.鈥�

As a Top Ten finisher, EMU was awarded the grand prize of a one-year license to equip two buildings on campus with competition sponsor 鈥檚 energy monitoring hardware and software.

The accomplishment was particularly notable. “As a first-time participant, EMU placed solidly in the top 10 reducers, consuming 21% less electricity in just three weeks,鈥� said Lucid CEO Vladi Shunturov. 鈥淭he commitment from EMU鈥檚 students and staff is truly inspiring.”

The win is 鈥渁n affirmation of the 草莓社区’s long-running commitment to reducing our school’s energy use,鈥� said campus sustainability coordinator .

The end result of the CCN competition not only raised awareness about individual consumer habits, but resulted in a substantial savings of resources and finances. The competition monitored 1,374 buildings used by approximately 345,000 student, faculty and staff, and reported a total savings of 1.9 million kilowatt hours, 394,000 gallons of water, and $290,000.

According to the CCN website, this is the equivalent of removing 182 homes from the grid for one year, saving 1.5 million one-liter bottles of water, and averting 2.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide.

CCN, in its fifth year, is hosted by the at the , Lucid, the and the .

Campus ‘climate’ contributes

From March 8-28, ten campus buildings were monitored for energy usage. Roselawn came out on top with a 40.2 percent reduction, followed by Maplewood (39.7 percent) and Elmwood (37.3), Hartzler Library (28) and Cedarwood (23.2).

The results make sense to Lantz-Trissel: such as Roselawn, and the LEED-certified dormitories 鈥渁re carefully designed to heat and cool efficiently in small zones, where older buildings have fewer thermostats and less flexibility and response to users or outside temperature changes.鈥�

However, plays a large role in this success. 鈥淲e also have a strong community ethic to conserve and care for creation, which means in a competition the community responds to the challenge to reduce energy or recycle and EMU usually outperforms our peer schools.鈥�

, whose job is to implement energy management, efficiency and sustainability measures as EMU鈥檚 building automation coordinator, had some idea of how competitive faculty, staff and residents were getting when he heard some voicing disappointment during March that 鈥渢heir building wasn鈥檛 doing better.鈥�

That bodes well for next year, Sachs said, when he plans to implement a social media campaign to raise awareness and get more people involved.

The competition also includes regional sub-competitions, such as the Big Ten Unplugged, the New York Negawatt Challenge, the California State University Conservation League, and the Campus ConseRVAtion Nationals, featuring three Richmond area schools.

Sachs hopes to invite Shenandoah Valley area universities and colleges to compete next year. He鈥檚 also pondering a friendly rivalry among Mennonite colleges.

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to watch the influence of CCN continue to grow,鈥� said Chelsea Hodge, director of programs at Lucid. 鈥淓very year, more and more students and staff prove through CCN that they are committed to using behavior change tools to achieve short and long term reductions in their campuses鈥� carbon footprints.鈥�

Publicizing user habits

The grand prize of Lucid hardware and software will complement the monitoring system already present on campus, according to Sachs. Preliminary plans will enable a more public showcase of campus sustainability efforts, with television screens projecting constant data to building users.

鈥淲e were planning to place one monitor in the , which gets a lot of foot traffic and would be a nice feature for that building鈥檚 users,鈥� Sachs said, adding that he鈥檇 also like to track energy use and trends in the newly renovated building.

That feedback will help users adjust their behaviors, 鈥渕uch the same way a fitness monitoring app might help a person be more active, lose weight, or work to improve in a sport,鈥� says Lantz-Trissel. 鈥淏ut in just the same way as a fitness app, data monitoring is only so useful, and improvement is up to the habits and behaviors of the building’s occupants.鈥�

EMU has a history of engaging its competitive spirit towards sustainability efforts: the campus recently , and has .

Last year, the university was awarded a silver ranking by the , based on its sustainability initiatives in operations, curriculum, planning and other areas.

But not in 2015. This year, EMU surged to the top of the Virginia recycling competitors 鈥� regaining the crown it has previously held in 2008.

EMU , with a recycling rate of 45.025%, a 4% increase from last year.

鈥淭his is impressive, given that the field of competing schools has more than tripled in the past seven years,鈥� says EMU recycling coordinator . 鈥淭his win highlights that EMU is a leader in and among colleges and universities in the state of Virginia.鈥�

Freed works to collect recycling with the help of student volunteers and the , a mobilizing force on campus and in the Harrisonburg community since the 1970s. Recycling is . (This initiative was started by former recycling coordinator , now campus sustainability coordinator.)

During the eight-week competition promoting waste reduction in campus communities, schools reported recycling and trash data, which was then ranked according to recyclables per capita, amount of total recyclables, and least amount of combined trash and recycling, according to the organization鈥檚 website.

To compare with other regional schools, James Madison University finished 77th with a 39% recycling rate, University of Virginia (UVA) finished 119th with a 32% recycling rate, and Mary Baldwin College finished 226th with a 7% recycling rate.

Antioch University of Seattle, this year’s winner, finished with a recycling rate of 96.7%.

EMU was second behind The College of William and Mary in 2013 and 2014, and third behind William and Mary and UVA in 2012.

During the Recyclemania competition, the recycling team also hosts weekly competitions, from which are drawn six semi-finalist individuals to compete in the RecycleMania Olympithon Extravaganza Yes! The champion is chosen through a tripartite points system, comprised of scores accumulated through an obstacle course race, a recycling weight-guessing game, and consistency in participation over the eight-week competition. This year鈥檚 winner was Robert Propst.

For information on EMU鈥檚 sustainability efforts 鈥� including and 鈥� visit EMU鈥檚 .

Shantz had two choices: tear it down or renovate it. After consulting with, as Shantz puts it, 鈥渢he one-man maintenance department of Gordie Shantz,鈥� the decision was made.

Under his direction, youth group volunteers gutted the building, put on a fresh coat of paint, and turned it into a storage shed. The oldest permanent structure at Highland Retreat still stands.

This is a common problem among many camps with long histories and old buildings, Shantz realized. Maintenance teams must keep an eye on budgets and eco-friendly choices, while still being sensitive to architectural history.

Thus came the origin of a recent workshop, 鈥淣ew Wine in Old Wineskins,鈥� for maintenance teams from camps in the eastern region of the (MCA). The informative visit to 草莓社区 to learn about sustainability initiatives was facilitated by Ed Lehman, assistant physical plant director.

MCA, which was founded in 1960, is, 鈥渁 clearinghouse for directing and promoting Christian camping among Anabaptist/Mennonite conferences and congregations around the United States and Canada.鈥� Thirty-one North American camps are members, including Camp Men-O-Lan, the first Mennonite camp, located near Quakertown, Pennsylvania.

While the scale of EMU鈥檚 renovations are much larger than that required by the camps, EMU representatives, including building automation coordinator Greg Sachs ’03 and sustainability coordinator l ’00, could provide general trends that translate to a smaller scale.

After a Powerpoint presentation highlighting significant renovation projects at Roselawn, Suter Science Center, and the two LEED-certified dormitories, participants had a brisk discussion about issues related to their specific facilities: , which first began hosting guests in 1935, in New York; Highland Retreat, dating from 1958; and the newest facility to be represented, in Toano, Virginia, which started in 1984. A representative from also attended.

Camp Deerpark, which includes new buildings as well as some older structures that predate the current organization by several years, has a heating system fueled by a large wood stove and generators that run on overdrive during the cold northern winters, said maintenance director Sean McConaghay.

Among the valuable bits of information that Shantz gleaned from the visit is EMU鈥檚 20 percent cost model on new projects. For example, if a new building costs $100, then renovation for an old building should only be considered if the total cost is $80 or less.

Shantz also favored EMU鈥檚 five-to-seven-year payback model, in which new equipment is expected to return the investment within a range of five to seven years.

For Shantz and others involved in the important but often overlooked job of keeping camps functioning and aesthetically attractive, the time to sit down, learn and share with other professionals was valuable 鈥� regardless of whether the discussion was about replacing a lightbulb, he said, or installing new toilets.

As is the case with some rural camps, the opportunity to acquire adjacent new property sometimes comes with old buildings 鈥� and a price tag. That is the case at Highland Retreat, which has recently been offered a nearby property at a favorable price, but with an old but solid building that may need renovation. Shantz has formed a committee to discuss potential uses, he said, adding that EMU鈥檚 sustainability initiatives could be a helpful model for Highland Retreat in this instance, and in any future construction project.

EMU was among 173 schools nationwide named , based on commitments to greening every level of their operations 鈥� from energy usage to recycling to food sourcing to curriculum.

鈥淥ne of the things that makes EMU different is that sustainability at EMU is not just a grassroots effort,鈥� said professor in a recent interview with EMU news services. While there are certainly such efforts on campus, the commitment to sustainability has developed as a result of official EMU support.

Key step was staffing

The creation of a recycling coordinator position in 2005 was a big step along the way. , who held that position for five years until becoming EMU鈥檚 coordinator, worked to increase campus community awareness of recycling.

He started by tracking what EMU was already doing. He found the campus recycled about 20% of its waste. He and his work-study students introduced better signage about recycling, as well as new color-coded bins into residence halls, academic buildings and faculty offices to make proper waste disposal easy and convenient. Lantz-Trissel also included recycling education in the first-year orientation program. Now, nine years later, the percentage of waste that EMU recycles is closer to 50%.

As far as Lantz-Trissel knows, EMU is the only university that picks up recyclables entirely by bicycle. This came about through a cost-saving decision, he said, when the pickup truck used for recycling rounds needed a new clutch: 鈥淭o replace the clutch was going to be $650. I said that for $550 I鈥檒l get a bike and trailer and you can sell the truck.鈥�

Recycling by bicycle

EMU agreed to give recycling by bicycle a try, although his supervisor was skeptical that it would last more than six months.

鈥淓MU is the perfect size for using bikes and trailers,鈥� said current recycling crew leader . 鈥淭he geography of the campus also helps considerably.鈥�

Freed collects the majority of EMU’s recyclables from uphill sites, enabling him to coast down to where these need to be deposited for trucking away. 鈥淲e actually don鈥檛 carry any heavy loads uphill鈥t鈥檚 mainly just good brakes to keep the loads from running away from us,鈥� said Lantz-Trissel with a laugh.

The recycling crew consists of at least one work-study student who is always 鈥減assionate about what they are doing,鈥� said Lantz-Trissel. 鈥淭hey like getting on a bike and peddling around recycling.鈥�

Earthkeepers club

Besides the recycling work-study position, the heaviest student involvement with campus sustainability efforts comes from the environmental club .

鈥淲e get volunteers to collect compost from the cafeteria Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,鈥� explained co-president and senior Melinda Norris.

鈥淵ou have to have people who are reliable,鈥� in order for collecting compost via volunteers to work, said Lantz-Trissel. 鈥淚 have never talked to another university who has students that have been that committed to composting鈥sually it ends up failing and people in the facilities end up handling it.鈥�

Other Earthkeepers projects include providing clotheslines in residence hall laundry rooms, sponsoring Food and Farming Week (a week of cafeteria meals in the fall based around local, in-season foods), and installing timers on the campus tennis courts that turn the lights on for a designated time-frame.

In the spring semester, Earthkeepers helps the recycling crew in 鈥�,鈥� an annual intercollegiate recycling competition. EMU has placed in the top 25% each year.

Presidential support

sits on the board of the and has signed the statement.

Recently, EMU became one of the first 25 institutions of higher education in 10 states to commit to 鈥�,鈥� aimed at reducing or eliminating the use or generation of hazardous substances.

Perhaps the greatest testament to the EMU community鈥檚 commitment to increased sustainability, though, is the .

鈥淓ach institution seeking reaffirmation of Accreditation is required to develop a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP),鈥� states the website for the. 鈥淭he QEP describes a carefully designed and focused course of action that addresses a well-defined topic or issue(s) related to enhancing student learning.鈥�

For EMU, that topic has been strengthening 鈥渃are for God鈥檚 creation by enhancing our knowledge, values, and actions鈥� and increasing 鈥渟ustainable practices at the university.鈥�

Campus-wide through QEP

The QEP 鈥渉elps spread sustainability to students who would not necessarily be drawn to that,鈥� said Yoder, a member of the Peace With Creation committee.

The plan moves sustainability beyond the committed students who are already on the bike collecting recyclables and in the cafeteria helping with composting. The plan invites the community as a whole to participate, with the faculty encouraged to weave sustainability lessons and themes through their curricula as much as possible.

Students are urged to bicycle or walk instead of driving locally. In recent years, they鈥檝e help tend the university鈥檚 five beehives, four produce gardens, and dozens of fruit trees, with the results sometimes ending up in .

For information on the full range of EMU鈥檚 sustainability efforts 鈥� including solar energy panels and LEED-certified residence halls 鈥� visit EMU鈥檚 .

Close to 3,000 people attended each day of the festival, July 11-13, 2014, at Natural Chimneys Park in Mt. Solon, Virginia. First held in the summer of 2013, the Red Wing festival is hosted by The Steel Wheels, a nationally known roots music band that features three alumni: Trent Wagler 鈥�02, Eric Brubaker 鈥�01 and Brian Dickel, class of 鈥�98. (The fourth band member, Jay Lapp, attended EMU鈥檚 sister Mennonite school in Indiana, Goshen College, for a time.)

After enjoying performing at other festivals across the country since they started touring seriously around 2010, members of The Steel Wheels began thinking about ways to create a new festival in the Shenandoah Valley.

鈥淲e wanted it to be rooted in community and informed by our upbringing,鈥� said Brubaker after Red Wing ended this year.聽鈥淲e wanted a family-friendly event where we would be proud to bring our own children and expose them to many different kinds of authentic musical expression.鈥�

The band partnered with Black Bear Productions, a local event production company, and began planning well over a year in advance for the first event. Their vision was realized in a multi-generational, community-focused festival that has brought dozens of performers and thousands of visitors for a long weekend of music on four stages at Natural Chimneys, about 20 miles south of EMU鈥檚 campus.

鈥淭he exciting thing is that all [our] dreams and more are already being fulfilled,鈥� Brubaker added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing that so many people from our community are investing time, creativity and resources to make the festival a true success.鈥�

Jeremiah Jenkins, a managing partner of Black Bear Productions, said the welcoming, friendly atmosphere at the festival is one of its special characteristics.

鈥淩ed Wing has fans of all ages. This sets a certain tone of respect and appreciation among the crowd, and that collective enjoyment really fuels us all weekend,鈥� he said. 鈥淩ed Wing brings out both the seasoned festivarian and the first-timers, and together we create our own festival culture. We鈥檙e proud of the Red Wing fans, volunteers and staff that treat the park and each other with such conscientiousness.鈥�

After noticing how many EMU alums attended the first festival, the university signed on as an official sponsor in 2014. Throughout the weekend, advancement staff passed out tea and connected with hundreds of alumni, prospective students and other festival-goers.

EMU and Red Wing organizers also collaborated to minimize the amount of trash generated at the festival. The festival banned the sale of plastic water bottles and required visitors to bring or purchase a reusable steel cup to use at the free water station and in the beer garden, Jenkins said. Food vendors were also required to use renewable, recycled or compostable materials for all service items.

Aware of EMU鈥檚 commitment to sustainability, Black Bear Productions hired EMU sustainability coordinator Jonathan Lantz-Trissel 鈥�00 to oversee trash and recycling collection during the weekend. He and his team of volunteers collected well over 1,000 pounds of recyclable materials and 500 pounds of food waste to add to EMU鈥檚 compost piles.

鈥淲hen people congratulate me on the festival, I always say that it takes a village,鈥� Jenkins said.聽鈥淲e鈥檙e so glad that EMU is part of ours, from the alumni office and sustainability team to the many EMU alumni that bring their families each year.鈥�

In addition to The Steel Wheels, about 40 other bands performed this year at Red Wing, including The Walking Roots Band, first formed under another name at EMU. Six of the eight members are EMU graduates: Lauren 鈥�09 and Mitch Yoder 鈥�09, Jackson Maust 鈥�09, Kristina Yoder 鈥�09, Adam Schmid 鈥�09 and Seth Crissman 鈥�09, MDiv 鈥�15. Crissman also said the welcoming feel to the festival was important to the group.

鈥淪omething we care about a lot is being able to create and share music that is fun for everyone. There was a broad range of ages at Red Wing, and music brings all these people together,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n making music in this roots-folk tradition, we draw nourishment from those who have come before and, hopefully, pass it on to those who will come after us. It was a lot fun to be able to listen to and enjoy other musicians doing the same thing at Red Wing.聽It was exciting to see so many people excited about roots and folk music, especially local music.鈥�

Another band performing at Red Wing, Ragged Mountain String Band, featured Reuben Miller 鈥�00 on fiddle.

The third Red Wing Roots Music Festival will likely be held on the second weekend in July 2015, with exact dates to be announced soon on the festival鈥檚 website and Facebook page. In the meantime, Brubaker said, The Steel Wheels will be recording a new album that will be ready in time for next year鈥檚 event.

The chose EMU because of its dedication to, said Kate Addleson, program manager for the , one of the partners in the campaign.

鈥淲e really appreciated the holistic approach that EMU has to sustainability,鈥� said Addleson, who hopes to see other universities in Virginia emulate what she described as EMU鈥檚 pioneering and precedent-setting leadership on the issue.

The event, held on Earth Day in late April, featured a panel of EMU faculty, staff and , speaking to a crowded room in the Campus Center.

鈥淔or us, it is a faith issue to take care of God鈥檚 creation,鈥� said Swartzendruber.

Motivated by a theological commitment to care for the needy, he said, EMU has been prioritizing sustainability for decades to try to limit resource consumption to its fair global share. As a result, EMU鈥檚 buildings now consume significantly less energy per square-foot and per student than the average among its peer institutions.

Since 2000, efficiency upgrades on campus have allowed the university to save 46 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and $2.5 million on its utility bills, according to sustainability coordinator . (The figures are based on a comparison to energy consumption levels in 2000.)

One of the most significant recent sustainability projects was the on the roof of the . It was the state鈥檚 largest commercial solar power project at the time. Its innovative financing agreement has been the basis for statewide legislation designed to promote growth of Virginia鈥檚 solar energy sector. The solar project was developed in partnership with , a solar energy company led by EMU business professor and MBA program co-director , who also spoke on the panel.

The university worked with the to pass an ordinance exempting the solar panel equipment from the local machinery and tools tax 鈥� another move that set precedent for recent state legislation.

Just three and a half years into their decades-long lifespan, the solar panels on the library roof have generated more than 450,000 kWh of electricity, offsetting the consumption of more than 266 barrels of oil. The average annual output of the library array is roughly equivalent to the annual energy use of 10 homes in Virginia. See live data on the solar array at

Earlier this year, the university was awarded a silver ranking by the , based on its sustainability initiatives in operations, curriculum, planning and other areas. EMU is one of seven universities in Virginia with a silver ranking. Four others universities have earned bronze rankings, while none have a gold certification.

Also speaking on the panel was , a research professor at EMU鈥檚 . She discussed her approach to sustainability as a issue by describing the growing link between climate change and violent conflict around the world.

Biology professor provided an overview of EMU鈥檚 , an interdisciplinary program that combines environmental and social sciences. Launched just five years ago, enrollment has grown rapidly to more than 40 students, making it one of EMU鈥檚 10 most popular majors.

Kai Degner, a city councilman and former Harrisonburg mayor, also spoke. He complimented EMU for demonstrating the environmental and economic benefits of large-scale sustainability initiatives, and said that the university 鈥渞eally provides us a terrific local example鈥� for government, institutions, businesses and citizens to pursue similar projects.

More on sustainability at EMU:

Panelists will discuss how sustainable development promotes security and economic opportunity in Virginia, as well as their shared sense of responsibility to protect God鈥檚 creation that has driven their efforts.

WHAT: 聽Leading for the Common Good through Sustainable Design

奥贬翱:听Kai Degner, Harrisonburg City Councilman, and聽, DMin,

, coordinator at EMU

, PhD, director of Human Security at the and EMU professor in the

, PhD, president and CEO, and associate professor of and at EMU

, PhD, professor of and advisor to students at EMU

WHEN: Tuesday, April 22
11:00 a.m. 鈥� Panel discussion
12:00 p.m. 鈥� Tour of and sustainability features such as , edible landscaping, cistern for campus landscaping, and .

EMU and its site in Lancaster, Pa., have earned a Silver rating from the . The standardized rating system, created by the Association for the , recognizes sustainability efforts by colleges and universities around the world in the areas of curriculum and research; operations; and planning, diversity and engagement. AASHE defines sustainability as 鈥渆ncompassing human and ecological health, social justice, secure livelihoods, and a better world for all generations.鈥�

Sustainability coordinator led the months-long project, which culminated in the award received in early 2014. The data collection involved 18 contributors from various departments and frequent consultations with a 300-page technical manual that provided guidelines and formulas to compute scores for everything from greenhouse gas emissions to building energy consumption. Credits are awarded based on a variety of performance- or strategy-based indicators, each of which requires specific and unique input from a 鈥渞esponsible party.鈥�

That explains why, when he clicked the final 鈥渟ubmit鈥� button, Lantz-Trissel reported feeling like an Olympic athlete at the end of a long quest. He relished the sight of the silver medal that appeared shortly on the screen, and then another feeling took over.

鈥淎ctually, I鈥檓 really tired,鈥� he said with a laugh during an interview a week later. 鈥淚t is a little like winning a championship. This rating was something we had earned and worked hard on for a long time. It represents many of our sustainability efforts that have been going on for the past seven years and I鈥檓 so pleased that people within the EMU community are getting the recognition they deserve.鈥�

While recognizing a history of grass-roots activism on campus, Lantz-Trissel traces EMU鈥檚 formal embrace of the sustainability effort to the 2007 adoption of education for sustainability as a re-accreditation requirement (EMU is accredited by the ). The resulting five-year Quality Enhancement Plan infused the topic into the undergraduate curriculum and focused community discussion on its diverse goals.

So when Lantz-Trissel began gathering the necessary data for the STARS report, he wasn鈥檛 surprised that curriculum and research was one of EMU鈥檚 strengths. More than 170 of EMU鈥檚 courses concentrate on or incorporate aspects of sustainability, and 12 faculty members from diverse departments are currently engaged in related research. EMU also earned credits for its student-led organizations and outreach campaigns, new student orientation tour, the annual Recyclemania event, organic garden, and outdoors program.

The most labor-intensive section of the STARS assessment surveyed EMU operations, including buildings, dining services, energy consumption, grounds, purchasing, waste and water. Gathering information to complete the greenhouse gas inventory alone took Lantz-Trissel nearly a year, requiring calculation of 鈥渙ur whole carbon footprint, everything from people driving to and from the university to air travel for all the student cross-culturals to electric, water and paper use.鈥�

In the final category of Planning, Administration and Engagement, EMU earned credits for its strategic planning; diversity, opportunity and equity programs for students and faculty; and responsible investing. This category also evaluated EMU鈥檚 sustainable workplace environment and its outreach into the local community and within other academic institutions.

The Silver rating, reported in the Version 1.2 system, is valid for three years. With its first-time honor, EMU joins 22 STARS-rated colleges, universities, and community colleges in Virginia, including Bridgewater College (Bronze) and James Madison University (Silver).

An updated reporting system with more definitive guidelines, Version 2.0, was released in the fall of 2013 (Goshen College was one of the first to earn a Silver rating using this reporting system).

The updates 鈥渞equire institutions to keep improving on their sustainability work,鈥� Lantz-Trissel said. But because EMU opted for conservative reporting of its achievements this first time around, he anticipates plenty of opportunity for an improved rating in the future, even considering the more stringent guidelines.

EMU won with a final total of 26,866 points, placing 94th out of more than 7,000 groups. EMU was 14th out of all universities, leading the pack among higher-education institutions with 10,000 or fewer students. Participants were given one point per mile and 20 points per day of biking.

“The success of the EMU teams was fantastic, but even more enjoyable was making new connections with team members in different areas of campus,” said , EMU sustainability coordinator. “It’s surprising to find so many others who are excited about bicycling. It spurred some healthy competition, too.”

Benjamin Bailey led EMU with a team-high 2,442 miles. EMU had 19 faculty and staff riders log 9,415 miles during the challenge.

Overall, the National Bike Challenge saw more than 30,000 people ride 12 million miles. Riders participated either as an individual or on a team of up to 10 persons.

The bike-challenge award was the second earned in 2012 for EMU’s bicycling efforts. In October, the League of American Bicyclists conferred a bronze award on EMU, making EMU the third university in Virginia, following Virginia Commonwealth (silver award) and George Mason (also a bronze), to be recognized by the League as a “bicycle friendly university.” Nationally, EMU is one of the two smallest universities 鈥� and one of just a handful of private ones 鈥� to receive the bicycle-friendly designation from the League of American Bicyclists.

“Recyclemania brings some friendly competition between colleges and universities, and in the end, can help spark renewed interest and dialogue in how we recycle and reduce waste,” said , EMU recycling crew leader.

During the competition, schools reported recycling and trash data, which was then ranked according to who collected the largest amount of recyclables per capita, who collected the largest amount of total recyclables, and who created the least amount of trash per capita or had the highest recycling rate.

EMU recycled 38.43 percent of its trash, finishing behind William & Mary (19, 54.44 percent) and the University of Virginia (53, 42.26 percent). Guilford College led Old Dominion Athletic Conference schools, recycling 43.27 percent of its trash.

Among area schools, James Madison recycled 25.44 percent, placing 157.

Freed said EMU has averaged between 38-40 percent recycled waste over the past four years.

Katie Jantzen, co-president of , a student group focused on environmentally friendly practices such as recycling, composting and reducing waste, said the way EMU picks up its recyclables is unique to other schools.

“To my knowledge, EMU is the only school to collect all of our recyclables by bicycle trailer,” said Jantzen. “I think it’s noteworthy that we do not use any fossil fuels in the collection of recyclables around campus.”

For more information visit .