Students gathered Sept. 4 at the Elon Community Garden to get their hands in the soil and support the Office of Sustainability’s annual Planting for the Planet event.
The event gave students an opportunity to get outside, learn more about sustainability at Elon and connect with other students who have similar interests.
Kelly Harer checks students in Sept. 4 during the Planting for the Planet event at the Elon Community Garden.
Kelly Harer, Associate Director of Sustainability for Education and Outreach, said Planting for the Planet is the Office of Sustainability's first big event of the academic year that connects students interested in environmental sustainability. The event typically welcomes around 150 people.
"It's really about building community, maybe introducing students to the community garden and other student organizations that they can get involved with specifically around sustainability, and then just connecting with their peers,” Harer said.
The event is mainly marketed toward freshmen, allowing them to meet other students during the first few weeks of the school year.
“Anyone is welcome, but especially in the first few weeks of the school when students are still trying to find their community, this is a really good place to find other students who are interested in sustainability,” Harer said.
Kate Blair, a student writer intern for the Office of Sustainability, said the event is also a way for students to become more familiar with the Elon Community Garden and the sustainability resources available on campus.
"It's really just an opportunity for students to get free plants while learning a little bit more about sustainability on campus,” Blair said.
While sustainability can mean different things to different people, Harer said students should be able to find their own interests within sustainability and decide what it means to them.
“We really want to be able to connect students to whatever sustainability options interest them,” Harer said.
Students can get involved in different activities through the Office of Sustainability and other organizations on campus. Opportunities include Garden Club, pop-up swap shops and hiking.
Harer said these events allow students to find ways to participate in sustainability that fit their own interests and lifestyles.
For students like Eleanor McDaniel ‘30, events like Planting for the Planet can also be a way to learn more about how individual actions can turn into larger changes.
“I think it just means protecting our environment because it's disappearing so fast, like we need to keep it,” McDaniel said.
Harer said she also wants events like Planting for the Planet to give students a chance to take a break from their busy schedules and decompress.
“We know that having plants and spaces increases mental health and in a positive way. So really, whatever they are interested in getting out of it, they hopefully do,” Harer said.
For Blair, sustainability is not only about large-scale environmental changes. She said small actions by individuals can build up over time and create a larger impact.
“It's also really important because it's small daily options that can build up to make a huge change, a huge difference on the community level, and so it's really important,” Blair said.
Planting for the Planet is one of several sustainability-focused events planned throughout the academic year. Students will have more opportunities to get involved during Campus Sustainability Week in October and Earth Week in April.
The Office of Sustainability hopes these events will continue to introduce students to sustainability while helping them find ways to make it part of their everyday lives.