Sustainability really is a mindset and it applies to every area of life, and learning about sustainability here on campus is one way to educate yourself.
Growing up, Hailey Burchhardt, ’26, shared with her grandmother many conversations about the environment. She didn’t realize it at the time, but those talks helped to instill in her a foundation and lifelong passion.
“She talked to me a lot about how we treat and live on the Earth, that the things we do have lasting impacts,” Hailey said. “Because of her, I’m a firm believer in our responsibility to maintain the environment.”
Hailey, a geography major minoring in sustainability, is one of five interns that oversee the Bridgewater State University Sustainability Program.
The program’s mission is to advocate for the integration of sustainability practices into teaching and learning, faculty-mentored undergraduate research, internships and sustainability literacy. The program also offers a sustainability innovation and outreach minor.
As part of her internship, Hailey is in charge of creating awareness through outreach and recruitment.
“Like many on campus, I didn’t even know we had a sustainability program until a professor told me about the internship,” she said. “It’s a really awesome program, I’ve honestly learned so much and want others to know about it as well.”
For her internship, public relations major Bridget Reilly, ’26, is in charge of creating content for the program’s website and helping to organize events.
“I think at our age, being in college, this is a very important time for us to market awareness about sustainability so we can start to do things, to have an impact,” Bridget said.
Intern and public relations major Hannah Young, ’27, produces social media content for the program. Like Hailey’s grandmother, her family prioritized sustainability growing up.
“I’m very grateful that I grew up in a house where it was instilled in me that I need to be aware, that it’s not just about me, but the next generation,” she said.
Hannah updates the group’s Instagram @bsusustainability_ account with pertinent information, including a sustainable smoothie event held last semester.
The smoothies were created using fruits and vegetables grown in the BSU permaculture garden, overseen by intern Natalie Fredriksen, ’28, a Geography major. The garden is located near Miles and DiNardo residence halls.
“I don’t think many people on campus realize we even have a permaculture garden,” Natalie said. “The other day a tour guide was leading a tour and didn’t know what the garden was. I happened to be gardening and was able to give a little explanation. I’d love if more people knew we had this resource right here on campus.”
Sustainability minor/outreach intern, Althea Gage, ’27, a geography major, also wants students to know about the sustainability minor, and how easy it is to incorporate into an existing major.
“I feel (it pairs) well with many different majors because it’s extremely important to practice sustainability, not just in the climate sense but the education and business sense as well,” she said.
As they continue to work together, the interns of BSU’s sustainability program hope more of their peers tune in and make sustainability part of their daily lives.
“Sustainability really is a mindset and it applies to every area of life, and learning about sustainability here on campus is one way to educate yourself” Hannah said. “We offer many opportunities, but even coming to just one event, you’ll gain more information. It’s an easy way to get educated on an issue that will affect all of us one way or another in the future.”
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