Welcome to the Zilkha Center for the Environment
Zilkha Center for the Environment (ZCE) oversees campus sustainability efforts, manages Hopkins Memorial Forest in partnership with a committee of researchers and other stakeholders, offers time-honored co-curricular initiatives such as the student summer grant program, Log Lunch, and Maple Fest, and is the administrative home of the Environmental Justice Clinic.
Protecting the environment and building sustainable societies and economies takes all of us. The ZCE works to achieve Williams College's strategic sustainability goals. We emphasize engaging students in this work and—through our co-curricular programs and management of the Hopkins Memorial Forest—extend the opportunities for experiential learning, applied research and community engagement beyond our campus borders.
![I have been asked about the orange ‘X’s popping up on trees around campus. The orange ‘X’ is a mark to indicate that the tree is being removed. When a tree must be removed on campus, it is not a decision taken lightly. It is decided only after tree assessments are conducted by a trained professional and when there are no practical alternatives to retain the tree safely.
Many of the trees marked for removal are ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees that have been attacked by an invasive species, the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), which eventually kills the tree. Other species marked for removal are significantly compromised for a combination of reasons, typically decay and structural concerns. The safety of the Williams community is our highest priority.
The impact is far greater than beautiful or interesting landmarks suddenly missing from the landscape. Trees make measurable contributions to their surroundings, including the number of species of caterpillars, butterflies, and moths they support, the amount of carbon they store, or the number of gallons of rainwater diverted from storm drains.
Although the loss of beautiful veteran trees deeply saddens me, I am delighted at the new opportunity it presents: planting new trees! In the spring 40 new trees will be installed on campus. The new plantings play a role in planning a resilient and diverse campus community forest for future generations. As the popular expression goes “[t]he best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago, the next best time is now” … or May of 2025.
To learn more about the campus community forest check out the online inventory in our Linktr.ee in our bio!
- Felicity Purzycki, Williams Landscape Ecologist Coordinator](https://www.williams.edu/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png)
I have been asked about the orange ‘X’s popping up on trees around campus. The orange ‘X’ is a mark to indicate that the tree is being removed. When a tree must be removed on campus, it is not a decision taken lightly. It is decided only after tree assessments are conducted by a trained professional and when there are no practical alternatives to retain the tree safely.
Many of the trees marked for removal are ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees that have been attacked by an invasive species, the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), which eventually kills the tree. Other species marked for removal are significantly compromised for a combination of reasons, typically decay and structural concerns. The safety of the Williams community is our highest priority.
The impact is far greater than beautiful or interesting landmarks suddenly missing from the landscape. Trees make measurable contributions to their surroundings, including the number of species of caterpillars, butterflies, and moths they support, the amount of carbon they store, or the number of gallons of rainwater diverted from storm drains.
Although the loss of beautiful veteran trees deeply saddens me, I am delighted at the new opportunity it presents: planting new trees! In the spring 40 new trees will be installed on campus. The new plantings play a role in planning a resilient and diverse campus community forest for future generations. As the popular expression goes “[t]he best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago, the next best time is now” … or May of 2025.
To learn more about the campus community forest check out the online inventory in our Linktr.ee in our bio!
- Felicity Purzycki, Williams Landscape Ecologist Coordinator
🎬 Lights, Camera, Action for the Planet! 🌍✨
Last Thursday, we hosted an inspiring No Waste November Movie Screening featuring The Story of Plastic at the ZCE Living Room. From munching on pizza 🍕 to creating collages 🎨, and diving into a thought-provoking discussion on tackling plastic waste, the event was a smashing success! 🗣️💡
Together, we explored actionable solutions for reducing single-use plastics and embracing sustainable habits. A huge shoutout to everyone who joined us and shared their brilliant ideas! 🌟💚
🌱 Let’s keep the momentum going as we reimagine waste and protect our planet! 🌍
#NoWasteNovember #EcoReps #TheStoryOfPlastic #SustainabilityInAction #WilliamsCollege #WasteNotWantNot ♻️
Happy Holidays from the ZCE!
Black Friday can be a lot of fun but it can also create a lot of waste, read on to learn more about the greenhouse gas effects Black Friday alone produces. This Black Friday try thinking a little more before buying! 🛍️
Williams College is introducing an all-solar-powered EV charging station!
Located at the Hollander Hall parking lot, the station will be accessible to faculty and staff. Because sunshine is variable, the four available spots will be reserved for four selected users.
Williams also has several grid-connected charging stations open to students after hours (check out the details in the post!). Electric vehicles are less harmful to the climate and environment than cars running on gasoline or diesel, so read on to learn more. 🍃
As it’s starting to be the holiday season, many students, staff, and faculty will be traveling. But did you know the greenhouse effects of commercial airplanes? Follow some of these tips to reduce your carbon footprint this holiday season as you are traveling! ✈️
Meet Inés! She is also a part of the Communications team at ZCE🌷