DeKALB – The first Sustainability at NIU event was held Tuesday on the Second Floor of Founders Memorial Library, with presentations from Courtney Gallaher, the campus sustainability coordinator, Holly Hansen, the assistant director of Campus Sustainability and Thomas Skuzinski, director of the Institute for Environment, Sustainability and Energy.
The presenters went through a brief explanation of sustainability and its history within NIU.
NIU President Lisa Freeman signed the Second Nature Presidents’ Climate Leadership Carbon Commitment in 2022, which committed NIU to reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality.
Since the commitment, campus sustainability initiatives have been led by the president’s office, the Division of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Division of Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development, the Center for Community Sustainability, and Edible Campus.
The ultimate goal of the commitment is to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions on campus by 2050. The main sustainability priorities for the 2025-2026 school year include energy and decarbonization, natural areas and grounds, waste, outreach and engagement, assessment, green workforce development and edible campus.
“Our college students have been born into a world where there is a lot going on and we cannot keep saying the youth are going to solve the problem. We have to be grownups and do something about it, that is why NIU has chosen to prioritize sustainability as a part of its mission,” Gallaher said. “Decarbonization is only one piece of it, we need to be working on how we manage our grounds, planting more trees. We are working on creating a world without plastic waste, so it’s for you guys.”
The presenters also discussed planned campus sustainability projects including the tree project, campus gardens and other events for students to be able to gain academic and research opportunities.
“The tree project includes 450 trees being planted around campus, outside of residence halls and roads for students to see while making their way to class,” Gallaher said.
Gallaher said the primary goal of campus sustainability this year is to get more students involved.
“Hearing students’ voices about climate change is the main way for them to get involved because we will be able to include their concerns and wants,” Gallaher said. ”Smaller things students can do is turning off their lights when not being used or finding ways to get around campus that require fewer fossil fuels.”
Students can also get involved with Edible Campus, another university effort for building sustainability.
Laura Fehling, Edible Campus program coordinator, said Edible Campus has the ability to connect students to opportunities that promote health, education and sustainability.
“We also have a new partnership with Huskie service dollars, a program meant for first-year and transfer students, to bring them into different spaces on campus to do service projects and volunteer work,” Fehling said.
Fehling also discussed developments and expansions for Edible Campus.
“We recently made the move from OARD to campus sustainability,” Fehling said. “Sustainability was always a core part of edible campus mission initially, and so it still will be. The Anderson market garden is where we do most of our growing. That produce is used for the campus dining halls and food pantries.”
Center for Community Sustainability Director Matt Deitch talked about plans to provide stronger support to rural and suburban communities throughout Northern Illinois.
“The Illinois Innovation network is a program that is administered by UIUC that acts as a hub for other state campuses,” Deitch said. NICCS program at NIU is the hub for this network. This was partially developed because there was so much interest among faculty and so much overlap. This idea of sustainability is already moving forward, so this is an opportunity to make that connection stronger.”
The next campus sustainability event, Huskies Go Green, will take place from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in Room 100 of the Peters Campus Life Building.
