Category: Environmental Stewardship Center

Inside the Grove

Posted on by Sara Stockwood

Written by: Romina Viramontes-Vargas K’28, Environmental Stewardship Intern

You finish an apple, eat the last bite, and now you’re left holding the core. Trash? Not necessarily. 

At K, that apple core has another place it can go: The Grove. 

If you’ve never been there before or have absolutely no idea what we’re talking about, the Grove is the forested area between the Living Learning Houses, the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership and the Trowbridge parking lot. The entrance is near the stairs next to DeWaters Hall. 

It might look like a small patch of woods from the outside, but there’s quite a bit happening back there. The Grove has been home to K’s on-campus Composting Program since 2009. It’s where you’ll find the composting shed, tools, compost piles, plenty of tiny organisms doing their part and, perhaps most importantly for students, green buckets. 

We’ll come back to those. 

First, what exactly is composting? Basically, composting gives food scraps and other organic material another purpose instead of simply sending them to the trash. Over time, that material breaks down and becomes nutrient-rich compost that can be returned to the soil. 

And apparently, K has quite a bit to compost. 

During the 2025–2026 academic year, 5,712 pounds were composted right here on campus. Another 39,126 pounds went through K’s commercial composting program. That’s 44,838 pounds altogether! 

Wooden sign that says "Welcome to the Grove"
green bin with orange sticker

K uses two different systems because on-campus and commercial composting don’t work exactly the same way. The compost managed at the Grove is processed here by the student Composting Crew, while commercial compost is collected by My Green Michigan and taken to their commercial composting facility in Lansing  (learn more about My Green Michigan in this post!). The difference also means the two systems can accept different things. So unfortunately, throwing something into a compost bin does not automatically make it compostable. Putting the wrong items in can contaminate the compost and leave someone having to sort through everything by hand. In other words: check before you chuck. 

Now, back to those green buckets. If you’ve been to the Grove before, you might have noticed shelves filled with them. And if you assumed they needed to stay there, we have some good news. 

You can take them home. Seriously!!! 

K students, faculty and staff can pick up a clean green bucket from the Grove, take it home, fill it with food scraps and bring it back when it’s full. When you return it, you can exchange it for another clean bucket and start again. So even if you live somewhere without a compost pile conveniently sitting in the backyard, you can still compost your food waste through K. And taking home a bucket isn’t the only way students can get involved. 

Need a PE credit? There’s composting for that too. 

K offers PED-128: Composting during the fall and spring terms, giving students a chance to help with the program while learning more about food waste, composting and the environment along the way. But if taking an entire class about compost isn’t quite your thing, there are also events at the Grove. 

Students shoveling dirt and compost in a wooded area
Two students smiling with plants
Students weeding in a prairie garden

And the next one involves smashing pumpkins. 

Halloween is coming up, which means pumpkins are about to appear everywhere. Maybe you carve one. Maybe you give it a name and become emotionally attached to it. 

But eventually, November comes around, and that pumpkin has to go somewhere. Instead of throwing it away, bring it to the Grove! On Wednesday, November 4 from 4–6 p.m., the Compost Crew and Office of Student Activities will host a pumpkin smashing event where students can bring their old pumpkins and give them a much more exciting ending while contributing to the composting process.

It’s fun, slightly chaotic, and a lot better than letting your pumpkin slowly collapse outside your door. And in a way, that’s what makes the Grove interesting. It takes something most of us don’t think much about and makes that process visible. Food waste doesn’t magically disappear when it reaches the trash can. It still has to go somewhere. At the Grove, some of that waste gets a second life.

You don’t have to know anything about composting to participate. You don’t need to take the PE class or join the Composting Crew. You can start as simply as walking over to the Grove and picking up a green bucket.

Because yes, one more time for the people in the back: You really can take the green buckets home. 

shed in the woods with shelves that say bucket drop off and bucket pick up
Compost Buckets on a shelf
Benches in the woods

Written by: Romina Viramontes-Vargas K’28, Environmental Stewardship Intern

Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center

Subscribe to receive posts about the ESC, academics, student projects and events directly to your inbox!

Subscribe to the ESC

Inside the Hoop House

Posted on by Sara Stockwood

Time flies when you’re having fun, but around the Hoop House, we like to think it grows, too.  

Welcome back to the second week of the term! With classes in full swing, plenty of rain falling over Kalamazoo, and another growing season underway, there’s a lot happening at the Hoop House. 

But if you’ve never stopped by before, you might be wondering: What exactly is the Hoop House? 

The Hoop House is more than a place to grow food. It’s a student-centered space where people can learn about gardening and sustainability, pick up some fresh produce, volunteer, meet new people, or even just stop by to hang out with friends. 

And when we say there’s produce, we mean produce!! Right now, the Hoop House is growing carrots, cilantro, mustard, basil, turnips, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, fennel, cabbage, artichokes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, strawberries, raspberries, herbs and several varieties of kale. There’s even a peach tree and a fig tree! And apparently, the Hoop House has a lot of kale. As one Hoop House intern put it: “If you ever want kale, don’t buy it. Just come to the Hoop House. We will give you an entire bag of kale for free.” Yes. An entire bag.

The best part? You don’t have to be a gardening expert to enjoy any of it. More than a garden the Hoop House isn’t separate from what students are learning on campus, either. Classes can use the space to take concepts outside of the classroom and see them in action. The Mother Corn Garden outside the Hoop House, for example, has been part of a collaboration with the Critical Ethnic Studies department. Biology courses, including Climate Biology, can also connect what students are learning about climate and the environment with what’s happening right here on campus. And lately, Kalamazoo’s rain has given us a pretty good example.  

Plants need water, but that doesn’t mean the Hoop House wants to become a swimming pool. Because the Hoop House sits downhill, heavy rainfall can cause water to collect around the area. Students noticed this problem and, in 2019, decided to do something about it. Their solution included French drains. 

Inside a hoop house garden

Despite the fancy name, a French drain isn’t quite as complicated as it sounds. It’s a drainage system that gives excess water a path to travel away from an area where it would otherwise collect. Typically, water moves through gravel or rock and into a pipe below, which helps redirect it somewhere it can drain more safely. The French drains at the Hoop House help move excess rainwater away from the area and reduce the flooding caused by its downhill location.  

But the story is about more than drainage. Students saw something affecting their space, worked together and made a change. That’s a pretty good lesson to carry outside the Hoop House. College and sustainability don’t require one person to have every answer. Sometimes change begins because somebody notices something that could be better, brings other people into the conversation and says, “Okay, what can we do about it?” That’s what a community can look like. 

Maybe you’re reading all of this and thinking, Okay, but I know absolutely nothing about gardening. Perfect. You’re still invited. The Hoop House has open hours Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4:30–6 p.m. and getting involved doesn’t require previous gardening experience. Students can come volunteer, learn as they go and have Hoop House interns there to guide them and answer questions. 

And you don’t necessarily have to volunteer to feel connected to the space. When students around campus were asked what they thought about the Hoop House, their answers showed just how many different ways people can interact with it. One student visiting for the first time said:  

“I think it’s great. I think it’s a great opportunity for students to connect with others.”  

Another first-time visitor hadn’t even realized the space existed before coming to the event.  

“I didn’t even know it was a thing. I’m really glad that it’s on campus and it’s available for alumni and current students.” 

Another student we stopped on campus had never volunteered at the Hoop House, but their friends had. They sometimes visit while their friends are volunteering and still see value in having the space available to students. 

“I like the Hoop House as a student because it’s like a free and easy way to get good produce, and I like that it’s run by students.” 

They also pointed out that it’s a place to connect with nature and learn gardening skills that students can eventually take with them to their own homes or apartments. And that’s an important part of what makes the Hoop House a community space. Some students volunteer. Some come for produce. Some attend events. Some learn. And some might simply stop by because their friends are there. 

You don’t have to arrive knowing how to garden. You just have to arrive. 

The first Hoop House event of the trimester gave new and returning students a chance to experience the space without coming specifically to volunteer. Students painted rocks, explored the Hoop House and of course there was food. 

hands cutting tomatoes and garlic for pico de gallo
art supplies on a table

Chips were served with salsa made using produce grown at the Hoop House, something first-time visitors especially loved. And if that sounds like your kind of event, there’s more being planned. Upcoming events aren’t set in stone quite yet, but the Hoop House team is looking at ideas including a craft day with flower pressing, a collaboration with the Crochet Club, and a Homecoming event featuring plantable seed balls. With alumni returning to campus for Homecoming, the Hoop House also plans to offer tours so students can see what’s growing. 

So whether you’re interested in sustainability, want to learn how to garden, need some kale, are looking for volunteer opportunities, or simply want somewhere to hang out with your friends, the Hoop House has room for you. You don’t need experience. You don’t need to know the difference between Red Russian and dinosaur kale. And you definitely don’t need to know what a French drain is before you arrive. 

The interns are there to help. 

Because at the end of the day, the Hoop House isn’t just about growing carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers or an almost concerning amount of kale. It’s about growing knowledge, solving problems and, most importantly, growing a community.  

People hanging around a table inside a hoop house
food laid out on a table surrounded by green grass and plants

Where is the Hoop House?

The Hoop House is located behind the Fitness and Wellness Center, next to the new student parking lot. Map your route to the Hoop House!

Written by: Romina Viramontes-Vargas K’28, Environmental Stewardship Intern

Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center

Subscribe to receive posts about the ESC, academics, student projects and events directly to your inbox!

Subscribe to the ESC

Welcome from the ESC!

Posted on by Sara Stockwood

Welcome Back to K!! And for our first year and transfer students, we’re so glad you’re finally here! After a beautiful summer, we are feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to get back to work here at the Environmental Stewardship Center (ESC).  

The first week can always feel a little strange. You either have a million things to do, or nothing at all. Either way, we’re here to offer you spaces where you are always welcome. Whether you’re a senior seeking refuge from your SIP, or a first year with nothing but a stack of syllabi, the ESC has a place for you.  

Group of students standing on a lawn in front of a brick building
The 2026-2027 Environmental Stewardship student team

Firstly, we’d love to see all of you at our Sustainability Chats every ODD Wednesday (Weeks 1,3,5,7 and 9) at 11am in Dewing Commons. At these meetings, students, faculty, and staff come together to discuss stewardship and sustainability on campus. These conversations are open to all and, more importantly, include free snacks. You can also join us during Hoop House open hours, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 4:30-6pm. Our Hoop House interns would love to meet you and show off all the Hoop has to offer. You could also swing by the Grove, the small wooded area located between the brick Grove houses, DeWaters Hall and the Trowbridge parking lot. There, you’ll find our on-campus compost program (which has its own PE class open to students in the fall and spring terms).  

If you can’t make it this week, feel free to drop by anytime throughout the tri, or visit the Environmental Stewardship Center (our HQ), right off Dewing Commons. We are also available via email and social media. Thank you and have a fabulous week one!! 

Two students shoveling a compost pile in the woods
Two smiling students inside a Hoop House
Group of students in front of an open shed

Written by: Elli Tiesworth K’27, Environmental Stewardship Intern & Environmental Studies DSA

Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center

Subscribe to receive posts about the ESC, academics, student projects and events directly to your inbox!

Subscribe to the ESC

Towards Carbon Neutrality: A Community Reflection

Posted on by Mia Pierce

The Climate Action Plan Committee had the opportunity to host the Week 8 Community Reflection in Stetson Chapel! Titled “Towards Carbon Neutrality with the Climate Action Plan,” the goal of this community reflection was twofold. First, the Climate Action Plan Committee wanted to share the current progress to fulfilling the Climate Action Plan’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Transparency and accessibility of information play a vital role in creating a campus-wide culture of sustainability, and the Climate Action Plan Committee is dedicated to increasing our community’s awareness of climate change as well as our efforts to combat it.

Second, the Committee wanted to create a productive space where students could create their own meaningful climate action. This past November, Environmental Stewardship Center Director Sara Stockwood and Outdoor Environmental Coordinator Greta Farley attended the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference. As part of the sessions and keynotes they attended by people working towards sustainability on college campuses around the United States, they were asked to formulate their own personal climate action plans. In one session by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, they were given a climate action Venn diagram (attached below) to fill out. The choice to include an activity was deliberate; climate action does not just happen to us, we have to work towards it together. While true climate justice requires systemic changes, we wanted to challenge the defeatist attitude that is quick to appear when we talk about enacting change by reminding our campus population that their actions do have an impact.

During the Community Reflection, attendees were challenged to use this Venn diagram to answer what brings them joy, what they’re good at and what work they think needs doing. After completing these questions, participants could assess the heart of the Venn diagram, where all three circles overlap to find their personal climate action. A few of them shared their diagrams with us:

Environmental Stewardship Center

Subscribe to receive posts about the ESC, academics, student projects and events directly to your inbox!

Subscribe to the ESC

Visit the Arboretum!

Posted on by Mia Pierce

The Lillian Anderson Arboretum is a natural preserve managed by Kalamazoo College’s Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center (ESC). The arboretum encompasses 140 acres of pines, marshes, meadows, and second-growth deciduous forests.

It serves as a valued resource for over 20,000 visitors each year who come to study, recreate, reflect, and learn, acting as a bridge between Kalamazoo College and the wider Kalamazoo community. The ESC staff, alongside a dedicated student trail crew, maintains the trails throughout the preserve. If that sounds like your ideal job, consider applying for the Arb Trail Crew next application cycle!

If Arb Trail Crew isn’t your thing, you could instead visit the Arb for P.E. credit! We encourage students to consider taking the Arboretum Stewardship course, which will be offered in Fall 2026 (transportation provided!). Through this course, students have the opportunity to learn about invasive plant management, practice the basics of trail maintenance, learn to use trail tools, and enjoy time outdoors!

With warmer weather on the horizons, now is the perfect time to visit the arboretum! The birds are coming out, flowers are blooming, and the trails have never looked as gorgeous as they do in spring. There’s never been a better time to head out and see what the arboretum has to offer – especially if you haven’t had the chance to visit yet. In fact, the ESC is happy to host any clubs or classes that need transportation. For example, the ESC is taking the Composting P.E. class to arboretum during 9th Week, and the ESC has shuttled students in the past. There are more opportunities to get to the arboretum outside of just the ESC, however. The Kalamazoo College Birdwatching Club (@birdingatk) regularly visits in order to identify and observe different bird species as a group while many of the Biology Department’s spring courses make an effort to visit the arboretum at least once during a lab session.

Additionally, if you prefer to go alone but don’t have access to a vehicle, there’s the option of taking the bus. Hop on the Route 14 bus at West Main and Catherine (Stop 605) or West Main & Monroe (Stop 603) and ride until the Oshtemo Library (Stop 1221). Enter the Oshtemo park and from there you can walk to the Arb! The Route 14 bus operates from 9:30am to 5:30pm on weekdays with services swinging by every hour.

Experiential education is core pillar of the ESC’s values. If you’re eager to have a class outdoors at the arboretum, ask your professors! Encourage them to get the class outside and connect their lessons to the broader outdoors. The ESC provides resources for this exact reason, and we want everyone who wants to get outdoors to GET OUTDOORS!

Environmental Stewardship Center

Subscribe to receive posts about the ESC, academics, student projects, and events directly to your inbox!

Subscribe to the ESC

2026 Global Climate Teach-in Recap

Posted on by Mia Pierce

What is a Global Climate Teach-in?

Students talking in the Hoop House

This past week, Kalamazoo College celebrated Worldwide Climate and Justice Education Week! Officially held the week of March 23-30, the World Wide Climate Teach-In brings together over 100 universities and 350 organizations from more than 50 countries, focusing on creating Climate and Justice dialogues in K-12 Schools, post-secondary institutions, and environmentally-minded communities across the globe. According to one participating college, the University of Kansas, “a Teach-In model invites researchers, community leaders, students, and faith groups to share space and participate in solutions-oriented discussions with attendees that will drive interdisciplinary perspectives and cultivate actionable solutions for your college and community.”

How does Kalamazoo College participate?

Because the official week fell during our spring break, Kalamazoo College decided to celebrate during Week 4, which coincided with both Earth Day and the Sustainability SIP Symposium. Faculty and staff from K across over 20 classes and programs facilitated discussions about the climate crisis and encouraged environmental justice both on campus and in educational spaces! From German students learning about art and sustainability in Vienna and increasing their ability to discuss these issues in another language, to student filmmakers creating short documentaries focused on climate/environment, to economics courses teaching about current issues and potential policy solutions to climate change, students all across the campus had the opportunity to integrate climate education into their everyday lives. More information on some of this year’s participants can be found here. Thank you to all of the students, faculty, and staff who participated in K’s Worldwide Climate Justice and Education Week!

Dr. Michael Wollenberg's Plant and Fungal Biology class

Looking beyond the Climate Teach-in Week

Composting PE class

Although the official event (and K’s unofficial one!) lasts only one week each year, promoting climate education remains important year-round. In fact, climate education is a core pillar of K’s Climate Action Plan (CAP), the framework we use to ensure that sustainability is a core value interwoven with all aspects of campus living. Under the guidance of the CAP, all students are encouraged to engage in climate education in their fields and to understand how to incorporate sustainability into their own lives amid a changing climate.

These goals help guide the environmental work that goes on around campus and beyond. We may have a long way to go towards global sustainability, but the efforts on campus this week are among the most important ways we can contribute to that goal. If you missed the Climate Education Week this year, don’t worry! It’ll be back next year, along with plenty of ways to participate. While it’s up to faculty and staff to design lessons, students are the driving advocates behind increasing awareness, and their voices can help jumpstart the movement by providing much-needed inspiration and drive.

Environmental Stewardship Center

Subscribe to receive posts about the ESC, academics, student projects, and events directly to your inbox!

Subscribe to the ESC

Finding Your Sustainable Senior-Integrated Project

Posted on by Josephine Belsky

Third week is coming to a close and Earth Week is upon us, bringing with it the 2026 Sustainability SIP Symposium. The Symposium, hosted at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership this Wednesday, April 22nd, will showcase 17 seniors with sustainable Senior-Integrated Projects across their respective departments. The keynote speaker, Reese Dillard, will speak about relationship building and environmental political movements beginning at 6:30 pm, followed by two rounds of senior presenters starting at 7:30 pm. All are welcome, and we hope to see you there!

Mairin Boshoven K’25 presenting at the 2025 Sustainability SIP Symposium
Ivy Walker K’25 presenting at the 2025 Sustainability SIP Symposium

Now that it’s the spring trimester and summer is in sight, current juniors may be investigating their options for SIPs. The Symposium is put on by the Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center and the Environmental Studies department, but the presenters aren’t limited to seniors with the Environmental Studies concentration. Drawing from this year’s graduating seniors, Madeline Moss (English major) reported on Southwest Michigan food systems, while Ryan Neihsl (History major) compared the effect of beavers and pigs on European-Indigenous relations. Also featured are a Studio Art and Critical Ethnic Studies double major, Sophia Sprick, who will present sculptures reflecting material memory and embodied knowledge, and Nora Parks-Church, who will present on the ethics of invasion and restoration ecology as part of her Philosophy and Psychology double major.

Luke Werner K’26 holding a pike
Nat Ward K’26 at Yellowstone National Park

Nearly every year, a few seniors choose to complete their SIP at Kalamazoo College’s Lillian Anderson Arboretum, our 140-acre off-campus green space. This year, Madi Magda K’26, is showing how tread management can combat trail erosion. In past years, seniors have focused on land cover area classifications or invasive species in the Arb. If you want more examples of past research, check out our past Symposiums! Similarly, seniors have chosen to conduct their SIP through an internship, such as Tending Tilth, where Lauren Stallman K’26 studied prescribed grazing for ecosystem management, or with the Kalamazoo Nature Center, where seniors can study regenerative agriculture practices or youth outdoor education. Some students took their focus out of state, such as Nat Ward K’26, who studied the bison in Yellowstone National Park, or Sofia Fleming K’25, who researched invasive squirrel diets in Washington state.

As rising seniors, some juniors may be interested in bridging their SIP with their experiences abroad, like Brooke Dolhay K’25, who studied marine ecosystems at the Institute for Marine Research in the Philippines, or Hailey Yoder K’26, who observed the effects of reef restoration in the Galapagos.

Hailey Yoder K’26 waiting near her coral sites in the Galápagos

The key takeaway is to network! There are many ways to get involved in research or community engagement, and the easiest way to find them is to ask around. The ESC can suggest ideas from their wishlist of sustainable projects that a rising senior can embrace, and Environmental Studies professors often hear about research and internship opportunities in the area that they can connect students to. As summer approaches, consider experiential education opportunities near you over the break, and reach out to the ESC if you want to discuss ideas or are looking for project funding! There is no one-size-fits-all approach to completing a SIP, and this Symposium showcases seniors’ creativity and intersecting interests in their capstone projects.

Want to be inspired in person? Come to the Sustainability SIP Symposium this Earth Day to celebrate our seniors and learn about how they’re integrating sustainability into their studies.

Environmental Stewardship Center

Subscribe to receive posts about the ESC, academics, student projects, and events directly to your inbox!

Subscribe to the ESC

Happy Spring 2026!

Posted on by Mia Pierce

The Environmental Stewardship Center (ESC) is excited to welcome back all of our students, staff, and faculty back to campus for the spring trimester! We hope everyone had a relaxing break because we’re ready to hit the ground running with a host of exciting events this term. Our interns are located in Dewing Commons Monday through Thursday, and you can always stop by to ask questions and learn more about what we do! Below are all the ways the ESC is actively working to make a greener, more sustainable campus this spring:

#aab_accordion_3043eeb4_0 { }
#aab_accordion_c07063b6_1 { }
#aab_accordion_89c592d8_2 { }
#aab_accordion_09753638_3 { }
#aab_accordion_41adffcf_4 { }
#aab_accordion_cfebe3a3_5 { }
#aab_accordion_a1148765_6 { }
#aab_accordion_12c9682b_7 { }
#aab_accordion_007b6a24_8 { }

Environmental Stewardship Center

Subscribe to receive posts about the ESC, academics, student projects and events directly to your inbox!

Subscribe to the ESC

Highlighting the ESC Team!

Posted on by Josephine Belsky

Applications for Student Positions through the Environmental Stewardship Center open on Monday, March 9th, so we’re highlighting the experiences of our amazing ESC team! The ESC currently has five student positions, two of which are opening next week. If you’re interested in learning more about applying, check out our Student Positions page.

ESC Students composting in the Grove
Eight ESC Students in the Arb

There are the beloved Hoop House interns, who tend to the Hoop House, organize open hours and activities, and host cultural events. Veda Shukla ’28 just joined the Hoop House in the fall and states “I have learned so much since working at the Hoop, from gardening practices and sustainability to the importance of community and reciprocity with the Earth. I carry the knowledge I have learned from my internship into all other areas of my life, and I am eternally grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of people.” Zoe Wilson ’26, who has been a steward of the Hoop House for three years now, explains what she’s gained: “Whether I am tending to the beds, organizing an event, or enjoying a deliciously ripe strawberry, the Hoop House continues to teach me. Not only do I gain firsthand knowledge about how to care for the land, but I have also acquired knowledge in how to listen, be patient, and care for my community, humans and more-than-humans alike.”

Students visiting Hoop House
People mingling at Hoop House fire cider event

Next, we have the adventurous Arb Trail Crew, who serve as stewards of the Lillian Anderson Arboretum and do trail maintenance and invasive species management. Six miles away from campus, the five miles of trails at the Arb keep the crew busy as they help remove fallen trees and branches, keep the Wetland Boardwalk clear, and interact with neighbors enjoying the calls of the sandhill cranes. Students like Nat Ward ’26 also help run the Arb Stewardship Practicum, which is one of the ESC’s free PE class offerings.

Arb PE class

There is also the hard-working Composting Crew, who manage the composting on campus, teach the composting PE class, steward the Grove, and encourage sustainable waste management from students, staff, and faculty around Kalamazoo College. Mo Silcott ’27 is returning to Composting Crew after their study abroad and they spoke about their experience, saying: “In my time working on the Crew, I’ve gained a wealth of wisdom when it comes to an aspect of the nature cycle that is often avoided: death. In many ways, as composters, we give organic material such as fruits and vegetables new life by turning them into cured compost to use as nutrients for future produce, plants, and other types of gardens. Teaching composting has also been a journey, allowing another layer of understanding. I not only have to apply what I know but understand it at a deeper level in order for others to learn.” Miyani Sonera ’27 just joined the Composting Crew last spring and remarked, “Composting in the grove has given me the chance to not only interact with our environment here at K, but to learn from it! The grove is truly such a special place that has given me so much and has been amazing to work in!”

Miyani Sonera and Rubi Gonzalez composting pumpkins
Madi Magda placing waste management shadowboxes

A new position at the ESC is the remarkable Dining Sustainability Intern, who works with the K’s dining partner, Parkhurst, to promote sustainability in dining locations. Madi Magda ’26 has helped to improve waste stream education, like recycling and composting, for staff and students alike through clear signage, hosting tabling events, and intercepting compostable items that would otherwise hit the landfill. One way she has encouraged our campus to take sustainable practices into their own hands is the Double Punch program at the Book Club – bring your own mug, get two punches towards a free drink!

Lastly, there are the ESC Interns. They help put on every ESC event such as the Sustainability SIP Symposium, biweekly Sustainability Chats, and the Climate Connection Series, the last of which is informed by their representation on the Climate Action Plan Committee. They work to increase students’ involvement with campus sustainability and the Climate Action Plan through the First-Year Forums, ESC’s social media, and these blog posts you’re reading! Crucial to the ESC function, they help connect all the different intern roles and help the different teams collaborate throughout the year. Mia Pierce ’26 has been an ESC Intern for three years now and states, “I’ve loved working at the ESC because it’s forced me out of my comfort zone and given a lot of opportunities to develop professional skills. For example, I used to be really anxious about public speaking, but working at the ESC has given the space to work on that. Now, I regularly present to my peers at the Climate Connections Series and also lead the FYE sustainability tour. Additionally, I’ve gained experience in working in a large group to plan a major event, the Sustainability SIP Symposium, which requires constant communication and coordination to make happen.” Josie Belsky ’28 began her role as an ESC intern last spring and comments, “I’ve learned so much about how things run behind the scenes through the ESC, and the most rewarding part is realizing that I’m capable of doing things I’ve never tried before and learning skills through that process. Working as the ESC intern has taught me better communication skills with students and staff, organizational skills and flexibility when working with lots of dynamic tasks simultaneously, and creative skills for engaging with the K community.”

Josie Belsky giving a First-Year Forum Sustainability Tour
2025 Sustainability SIP Symposium
Mia Pierce and Veda Shukla tabling for the ESC

You can meet our entire 2025-2026 ESC team on our About Us page! If you’re interested in applying to be the next Hoop House or ESC intern, keep an eye out for applications on March 9th!

Environmental Stewardship Center

Subscribe to receive posts about the ESC, academics, student projects and events directly to your inbox!

Subscribe to the ESC

Weigh the Waste Day and Winter Composting Updates

Posted on by Mia Pierce

A few weeks ago on February 4th, the Environmental Stewardship Center (ESC) was happy to partner with the Parkhurst Dining team for Weigh the Waste. Led by two ESC interns, Madi Magda ’26 and Mo Silcott ’27, students were invited to weigh their waste and play trivia games centered around composting to win prizes – and it was a huge hit! 

This event has been run by Parkhurst at other schools in the past, and Kalamazoo College decided to join in on the fun this year! Weigh the Waste is an event where sustainability initiatives are held on campuses to raise awareness about the food that is wasted on a daily basis. There is a visual aspect to demonstrating the food waste as well: food that would normally be thrown away is put into a clear bin that is on a scale to be weighed. To promote education on compost, students who threw their waste away got to play trivia and were able to win prizes if they got the answers right. 

Not only did this event help students visualize the compounding effects of wastefulness that is usually hidden, but it actively educated students about composting and encouraged them to be more conscious of their food waste and carbon footprint. “The best part about this event was seeing them become interested in wanting to be better about food waste and composting,” says Magda K’26. To learn more about composting, you can visit the Composting page on the Sustainability at K website.  

This project, along with many others, was brought to life by the new Dining Sustainability Intern, Madi Magda ‘26, who has been coordinating sustainable development between the ESC and K’s dining partner, Parkhurst. For example, her efforts have resulted in a new commercial composting bin being added to the Book Club Cafe in addition to the recycling and landfill containers. This new addition to K’s eco-infrastructure is a step towards responsible waste management on our campus. Magda designed new composting stickers similar to the recycling stickers to educate students and staff on the correct ways to recycle and compost their waste, facilitating a transition to a more environmentally-friendly culture on campus. Another collaboration struck by the Dining Sustainability Intern was a promotion of reusable cups at the Book Club; there are now punch cards in the book club that get two punches towards a free drink if you bring your own mug or cup from home!

Environmental Stewardship Center

Subscribe to receive posts about the ESC, academics, student projects and events directly to your inbox!

Subscribe to the ESC