Welcome to the Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives, Williams' sustainability office.
The Zilkha Center advances sustainability at Williams College in collaboration with operational departments, faculty, students and partners outside the college. Our key focus areas include:
How does the Zilkha Center fit into the campus ecosystem? Campus sustainability is everyone’s job, but the Zilkha Center exists to support and keep the work moving forward. The Center focuses primarily on improving campus operations while engaging students in the work.
Academic courses around sustainability and the environment fall under the Center for Environmental Studies (CES). Students interested in majoring in environmental studies or the research and internship opportunities CES provides should reach out directly to CES.
NEWS & EVENTS
About two weeks ago, the Zilkha Center and the Chaplain’s Office visited Adamah, a local farm in Canaan, Connecticut that works and educates folks on farm-to-table living through the lens of the Jewish faith. Shamu (pictured on the first slide) hosted a tour of the farm and engaged folks in activities including pruning raspberries, touching paper made by a recently slaughtered goat, and feeding chickens. The audio playing behind this post is a clip of the group singing by the river!
Also, Adamah is now accepting applications for their 3-month fellowship program! You’ll be engaged in similar activities while learning more about social justice and organic agricultural living. Check our LinkTree to apply!
The Zilkha Center is collaborating with Dining to help highlight food sustainability efforts on campus! Check out plant-rich Wednesdays at Whitmans for a flavorful and sustainable meal. Plant-rich meals reduce land clearing, carbon emissions, and water use!
Happy holidays! Here are some tips for having a more sustainable Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Did you know that some of the things you see at the Envi Center have cool back stories behind them? These things have all been repurposed from parts of campus and beyond--from here to Vermont! Follow along our infographic and see if you`ve noticed any of these!
⛰ What happens to the waste from the Envi Center`s composting toilets? It turns into soil! ⛰
A few weeks ago, Geoff from Clivus, plus staff and interns from the Zilkha Center, worked to remove the waste and dug it into the garden nearby, which acts as compost.
🌳 The Zilkha Center spoke with Felicity, the College’s arborist, on how our campus can be more mindful of our trees when enjoying the outdoors. Thanks to Felicity’s knowledge, we share with you a dos and don’ts guide on how to take care of our trees. 🌳
🌟 We`d like to take a moment to share with you all how the Zilkha Center pursues DEI in all aspects of work: staff education, student programming, project development, and more. 🌟
To foster DEI in our work, we`ve developed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan along with the Davis Center. Our student interns are trained to act through the lenses of intersectionality and DEI. The Zilkha Center also co-hosts Root, an EphVenture program, which gears incoming students to think and take action towards social and environmental justice.
Visit our website to learn more on how we work towards sustainability that`s equitable and inclusive for all. 💻
🌾 Today`s we`re giving a shout-out to Williams Sustainable Growers for their works in making our campus more sustainable! 🌾
Williams Sustainable Growers is based in Parsons Garden in front of Parsons House, where they locally grow vegetables, fruits, and other greenery. They meet every week to work on the garden.
We know that there are plenty other clubs practicing sustainability across campus. If you`re part of a different student org that works towards sustainability and you`d also like to be featured, please DM us! 📨
🦇 Thank you to all who stopped by or volunteered at the Secondhand Costume Swap! 🦇
Thanks to the secondhand costume donations from the `62 Center Costume Department (@62center), the Zilkha Center and the Free Store (@williamsfreestore) were able to run this event. We hope everyone enjoyed a spooky Halloween. 🌖
🚴 Today we’re giving a shout-out to The Purple Bike Coalition for their works in making our campus more sustainable! 🚴
The Purple Bike Coalition offers free bike rentals and repairs to any member of the Williams community. The group works to make bikes, a sustainable fuel-free mode for transportation, more accessible (and fun!) across campus.
We know that there are plenty other clubs practicing sustainability across campus. If you’re part of a different student org that works towards sustainability and you’d also like to be featured, please DM us! 📨
Introducing our 2023-2024 Zilkha Center Interns!
🍀 Meet Diliara, our ESG Investment Project Intern. Diliara will research and collaborate ways to implement sustainability into the finances of the college.
Introducing our 2023-2024 Zilkha Center Interns!
🍄 Meet Mafoudia, our Zero Waste Intern. Mafoudia will use the college’s Zero Waste Action Plan to lead zero waste planning efforts in partnership with stakeholders from across campus, including Facilities, Planning Design & Construction, Dining Services.
Introducing our 2023-2024 Zilkha Center Interns!
🌳 Meet Tegra, our Campus Tree Planting and Carbon Sequestration Project Intern. Tegra will work closely with the Grounds Management Team and College Relations to explore possibilities of a campus tree planting project that sustains urban forest renewal and care, intentional carbon sequestration, and education on the value of trees.
Introducing our 2023-2024 Zilkha Center Interns!
🥑 Meet Brian, our Break Free from Plastics Intern. Brian will work with the Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN) to explore ways to reduce plastic consumption and overall waste on campus.
Introducing our 2023-2024 Zilkha Center Interns!
🌾 Meet Mercy, one of our Gardening and Landscaping Interns. Mercy will upkeep the landscaping around the ‘66 Environmental Center as well as its perennial gardens, orchard, berry patches, and herb garden.
Introducing our 2023-2024 Zilkha Center Interns!
🌾 Meet Uhart, one of our Gardening and Landscaping Interns. Uhart will upkeep the landscaping around the ‘66 Environmental Center as well as its perennial gardens, orchard, berry patches, and herb garden.
Happy Halloween, again! Here are some costume-specific tips to avoid the spooks of unsustainable practices.
Happy Halloween from the Zilkha Center! Make sure to have a spooky, and sustainable, time.
Introducing our 2023-2024 Zilkha Center Interns!
🌱 Meet Sasha, our Dashboard Intern. Sasha’s work centers around selecting and gathering data about campus sustainability efforts, and conceptualizing how to display it in a manner that is accessible and compelling for a general audience.
Introducing our 2023-2024 Zilkha Center Interns!
🌻 Meet Olivia, one of our Communications Interns. Olivia strategizes means to get the campus involved with sustainability efforts while helping maintain the Zilkha Center’s online presence!
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