‘Sustainability can be fun’

Club helps students forge connections while protecting campus environment

By California State University, Bakersfield

March 15^th, 2024

Editor's note: This is article is part of an ongoing series highlighting active student clubs on campus.

Sarah Alame had a busy schedule after starting her master’s program in biology at California State University, Bakersfield in 2021. She not only had her classes but was also working as a student assistant in the Energy and Sustainability Department.

Sensing Alame’s passion for the environment, her boss at the time — former Energy and Sustainability Specialist Jennifer Sanchez Biedermann — suggested that she bring the then-dormant Students for Sustainability Club back to life on campus after being shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was really hesitant because I was a master’s student and I had big workload, but I felt I had the ability to give back in a way that’s fun, productive and beneficial not just to students but to the entire community,” she said. “I wanted to make an impact on society but also on our environment.”

Alame helped get the club rechartered, became president and brought in other students to help lead it. After learning about it during a club fair, Karen Navarro joined last year and has served as treasurer.

“I’m so glad that this club exists. I feel like sustainability is so important. It’s something that hasn’t been talked about or promoted enough, especially on campus,” she said. “It’s been fun coming up with ideas on how we can build a connection with students and show through our events and activities that sustainability can be fun.”

Students for Sustainability promotes sustainability efforts on campus through tree plantings, campus cleanups and other events. A lot of their activities take place during the spring in observance of Earth Month in April.

The club has several events planned this year, including an art exhibit on April 24 featuring the work of students revolving around endangered plant and animal species in the region. A tree-planting event is scheduled to take place on April 25, as well as a replanting at the Butterfly Garden.

CSUB will hold its annual Sustainability Symposium on April 26, after which a Sustainability Think Tank event will be held at the Edible Garden to discuss ideas to further promote sustainability on and off campus.

Students in the club also often advocate for environmentally conscious practices on campus, such as by urging the university to provide adequate protections for wildlife as well reduce lawn watering to help conserve water.

“Our goals are to mobilize the community, get people engaged and educate them about the importance of being sustainable,” Alame said.

Navarro said one of the other main goals of the club is to show students that there are easy steps they can take to help the environment.

“I feel like people have this misconception that it’s expensive to be sustainable, but it really isn’t,” she said. “There are so many different things you can do, little changes that really do make a difference. You can make a difference just by doing something as simple as bringing a hydro flask to school, which helps reduce plastic use.”

Alame — who currently serves as the director of sustainability for Associated Students Inc. — said sometimes an initial investment is needed, such as buying a reusable grocery bag, but then items can be reused for years on end.

“We want people to realize these are not big sacrifices that you’re making. You can have all your needs met without compromising the state of our environment,” she said.

‘Making a difference’

Alame is satisfied with how impactful Students for Sustainability has been over these past few years. One of the developments she’s most proud of is the club’s efforts to create more awareness of kit foxes on campus which eventually resulted in more protections that were put in place by the university.

She is also happy that there is an Ecosystem Advisory Council now that includes faculty and staff as well as herself and one other student. The council is focused on supporting the diverse wildlife on campus.

“I’m most proud of the fact that so many people are now talking about sustainability and are more aware of our ecosystem. Our efforts are not going unrecognized,” Alame said. “This club has served as a platform to allow people to have these conversations and to give ideas on things we can do to improve or advocate for. I feel like the club has empowered students and makes them feel they’re making a difference.”

One such student is Valeria Ortiz Alvarado, who has been with the club since 2022.

“It’s been a positive learning journey for me. It helped me reconnect with my green side,” she said. “It’s been fun getting to interact with people and get their perspective. We’re not trying to lecture people; we want to educate them in fun ways.”

Navarro has also enjoyed her time in the club and said it’s been a very eye-opening experience for her.

“I thought I knew a lot about sustainability, but I got into this club and I learned so much more about how the ecosystem works, how everything we do affects the environment,” she said.

Alame believes clubs such as Students for Sustainability are an essential part of the campus experience. She encourages all students to see out a club that matches their interests.

“Not only do they enhance student life — they’re a way to meet people who share common interests,” she said. “College is all about making connections with people and learning about yourself, and clubs can help accomplish that.”

Alvarado said the club helped her reconnect with an old friend she hadn’t seen in a long time and that she has been able to forge relationships with other students she otherwise may never have met.