Category: Featured News

Spring Term in the ESC

Posted on by Emerson Wesselhoff

Welcome back to campus, everyone! We here in the Environmental Stewardship Center are looking ahead to a spring full of good weather and great times spent outside, and we hope you are too!

There are so many ways to get involved with the ESC this term, and to explore environmental/sustainable-minded communities in Kalamazoo! Read below about some of the opportunities coming up on campus, and how you can get involved! The pictures on the right give a helpful calendar of both campus and community events. Please feel free to email us at environmentalstewardship@kzoo.edu with any further questions!

Campus Events

Global Climate Education Week

Join us (and over 100 universities worldwide) helping to #MakeClimateAClass this spring! We’re inviting K professors to teach about climate change in their respective classes during 2nd week. Beyond that, we’re hosting some great events to celebrate: a Climate Connection Series event, a trip to the Arboretum, and a Climate Anxiety Cafe. Check out our website to learn more!

Climate Action Plan: Climate Connection Series

Click on the drop downs to learn about Climate Action Plan (CAP) Events in Spring ’25. Our primary event is the Climate Connection Series: two open discussions that give students, faculty, and staff the chance to learn about specific CAP goals, their progress, and outcomes. Food provided! Learn more below!

Climate Connection Series: Learning Goal

On Wednesday, April 9th at 11am in Dewing Commons, join us for a chance to learn more about our Climate Action Plan’s Learning Goal. The session will include a short presentation, followed by a chance to give input and direction on how the CAP Committee should make progress on the Learning Goal. Hope to see you there!

Climate Connection Series: Resource Conservation Goal

On Wednesday, April 30th at 11am in Dewing Commons, join us for a chance to learn more about our Climate Action Plan’s Resource Conservation Goal. The session will include a short presentation, followed by a chance to give input and direction on how the CAP Committee should make progress on the Resource Conservation Goal. Hope to see you there!

Sustainability SIP Symposium

We’re so excited to announce our 2025 Sustainability SIP Symposium! Honoring the work of incredible seniors across all corners of campus who have completed Senior Integrated Projects dealing with themes of the environment and sustainability, the Symposium will include a keynote speech from local environmental activist Ben Brown, student presentations, great food, and lots to celebrate! The event is free and open to all! Come join us in the Arcus Center on Wednesday, April 23rd, from 6:30-9pm.

Keynote Presentation

We are thrilled to welcome Ben Brown to campus to give our keynote address!

Senior Presenters

These wonderful seniors have put so much hard work into their SIPs – please come celebrate them during the Symposium and learn more about their incredible projects!

Environmental Studies Classes

Looking to add/drop any classes this term? Or are you taking any of these classes without knowing they count towards the Environmental Studies concentration? Take a look at the Environmental Studies (ENVS) classes offered in Winter ’25.

Recurring ESC Events

Check out these ongoing ESC events that are open to all!

Sustainability Chats

Join the Environmental Stewardship Center for our bi-weekly sustainability chats! This is a great opportunity to connect with students, faculty, and staff involved with sustainability, climate action, and environmentalism on campus! Our goal is simply to catch up with each other, eat some yummy snacks, and support like-minded folks with whatever they bring to the table. Stop by every Wednesday of even weeks in Dewing Commons from 11-11:55!

Hoop House Open Hours

Come on down to the Hoop House garden open hours, every MWF from 4:30-6! Get your hands in the dirt, hang out with great people, and take home some yummy produce! You can garden, do homework, or just enjoy the space. All are welcome! The Hoop House is located in the field behind the Fitness and Wellness Center.

Arboretum Highlights

Posted on by Sara Stockwood

The Lillian Anderson Arboretum, a 140-acre preserve managed by Kalamazoo College’s Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center (ESC), encompasses marshes, meadows, pines plantations, and second-growth deciduous forests. It serves as a valued resource for thousands of visitors each year who come to study, recreate, reflect, and learn. The ESC staff, alongside a dedicated student trail crew, maintains the trails throughout the preserve. Recognizing the importance of the Arboretum, several local funders supported key projects and enhancements in the 2023-24 academic year, enabling significant progress toward accessibility and land management goals.

Project Updates

In an ongoing effort to enhance conservation and preservation efforts at the Arboretum, the ESC engaged in several initiatives during this period:

Sheep Grazing Research

Continuing their commitment to sustainable land management, the ESC partnered with Tending Tilth LLC, a MAEAP-verified business, to host two interns over the summers of 2023 and 2024. This collaboration, involving the Kalamazoo College Biology Department, successfully completed two years of sheep grazing research along the Powerline Trail.

Pollinator Habitat Research

The area around the Powerline Trail serves as a crucial site for the ongoing Pollinator Habitat Enhancement Project, where the team focuses on invasive species management, pollinator surveys, and native plantings. Newly installed Chronolog photo stations in this area invite visitors to support this work by uploading their photos of the habitat, ultimately recording and tracking environmental change in real time.

Land Management Plan

Alongside these efforts, the ESC staff have been working closely with the Kalamazoo Nature Center to develop a comprehensive land management plan that will guide the stewardship of the Arboretum in the coming years. The ongoing support and shared expertise of the Kalamazoo Nature Center will be vital to achieving our long-term sustainability goals.

A happy ewe munches on vegetation along the Powerline Trail in June 2024.
A new welcome sign greets visitors in the parking lot.
Batts Pavilion after re-grading the trails.
Entrance road after re-grading the trails.
New hand pump well near the Batts Pavilion

Physical Improvements

The team at the ESC has undertaken several physical improvements to enhance the overall visitor experience at the Arboretum. These efforts reflect a commitment to ensuring that all visitors can safely and easily access the natural beauty of the preserve while enjoying the various amenities the space offers.

New Welcome Sign

A new welcome sign was installed at the base of the island at the entrance to the parking lot from M-43, providing clear confirmation of the location for visitors, even though there is no signage directly on the main road. The sign is part of a broader effort to improve navigation and create a more inviting first impression for all who visit.

Entrance Trail Upgrades

To further improve accessibility, the entrance trail from the parking lot to the Batts Pavilion was re-graded and resurfaced with a new layer of asphalt millings by DeYoung Landscaping, a local contractor. This significant upgrade has increased the usability of the trail for both the College community and the public.

New Well Installation

In addition to the trail improvements, a new well was installed in fall 2023 by Foune Well Drilling and officially opened in spring 2024. offering visitors fresh drinking water for the first time since summer 2021. The water, available through a hand pump, is regularly tested by ESC staff in collaboration with the Kalamazoo County Health Department to ensure safety and enjoyment for all who visit.

Batts Pond Bridge Replacement

A key milestone was the replacement of the Batts Pond bridge, a long-held goal following the major flooding events of 2017-21. With invaluable support from the Kalamazoo Nature Center and volunteers from Stryker Corporation, a new floating bridge was installed in spring 2024. This innovative design can adapt to changing water levels, providing both safety and durability in an area prone to regular flooding, as confirmed by historic aerial photos.

Acknowledgements

On behalf of the Lillian Anderson Arboretum and the Environmental Stewardship Center, Kalamazoo College would like to express their sincere gratitude to the local funders whose generous support made these important projects and enhancements possible.

  • Consumers Energy Foundation
  • ENNA Foundation
  • Irving S. Gilmore Foundation
  • Kalamazoo Rotary Club
  • Seminary Hill Sustainability Internship
  • Stryker
  • Zoetis
New floating bridge next to old bridge at Batts Pond.

Connect with us

For questions about this project, ongoing needs at the Lillian Anderson Arboretum, or to get involved, please contact:

Sara Stockwood
Director, Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center & Lillian Anderson Arboretum
sara.stockwood@kzoo.edu

Maria Newhouse
Director, Corporate & Foundation Relations
maria.newhouse@kzoo.edu

K’s Climate Action Plan

Posted on by Sara Stockwood

Did you know that Kalamazoo College has a Climate Action Plan (CAP)? The CAP plays an integral role in K’s journey towards sustainability. The Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center (ESC) staff and interns are members of the Climate Action Plan Committee – a standing committee responsible for maintaining the college’s plan in association with the President’s Climate Leadership Commitment signed in 2010. A significant portion of the ESC’s work is driven by the Climate Action Plan.

What is a Climate Action Plan?

As climate change becomes an increasingly prevalent force in our lives, a successful climate action plan can guide how communities respond. They provide a framework for recording and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as for leading an environmentally responsible life.

The Kalamazoo College Climate Action Plan (CAP) has an overarching goal of carbon neutrality. More than that, the plan ensures that our core value of sustainability is interwoven with all aspects of campus life.

Our CAP Goals

K’s Climate Action Plan is broken down into four smaller goals, all of which combine to help achieve carbon neutrality by 2050:

  • Greenhouse Gas Goal: Reduce GHG emissions by 35% of 2008 levels by fiscal year end 2028.
  • Resource Conservation Goal: Provide leadership in Resources Conservation measures for campus operations. 
  • Learning Goal: Work toward exposing every Kalamazoo College student to the study of issues related to climate/climate change, ensuring that Kalamazoo College graduates will possess climate literacy.
  • Environmental Responsibility Goal: Develop campus-wide efforts to educate the K College community about climate change —stretching beyond courses and academic programs. 

Want to know more about the Climate Action Plan? Check out these resources below.

Climate Action Plan Website

Read the current 5-year Climate Action Plan, view past year’s carbon reporting and more!

Check out CAP Updates

Find out what progress was made during fiscal year 2024 (academic year 2023-2024).

Share your CAP related work!

Share your environmental or climate action work with us!