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On-Campus Events

Campus Race to Zero Waste
February 2 - March 29, 2025
The Campus Race to Zero Waste is a friendly national competition and benchmarking tool for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities. Over an eight-week period in February and March, colleges report recycling, composting, and trash weights to be ranked against participating colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada. In 2024, Aquinas finished 8th in the Diversion category and 1st in the Food Organics Category (smaller campus division).

EcoCraft Fest: Crafting Sustainably
Date: April 7
Time: 4 PM 鈥� 6 PM
Location: TRIO SSS Lounge (lower JLH)
Join us for EcoCraft Fest, where we turn trash into treasure through creative and sustainable crafts. Planned projects include: 

• Sustainable Knitting 鈥� Learn to knit with eco-friendly and recycled materials.
• Upcycled Blooms 鈥� Transform plastic and straw into beautiful handmade flowers.
• Smart & Sustainable Shopping 鈥� Tips to shop green on a budget.
• Bring Your Waste to Create 鈥� Help us repurpose waste into unique crafts. Bring plastic bags, Amazon plastic packaging, off-campus straws, and egg cartons to contribute to our upcycling projects.

Attendees will be entered into a raffle to win prizes. Organized by the Art & Craft Anime Club and Co-Sponsored by the Center for Sustainability at Aquinas College. 

PFAS: Forever Chemicals Impacting West Michigan
Date: April 11, 2025 from 9:30am to 11:00am
Location: Aquinas College Donnelly Center
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called "forever chemicals," have been a growing concern in West Michigan due to their persistence in the environment and potential health impacts. Staff from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) will provide a comprehensive introduction to PFAS鈥攚hat they are and why they matter鈥攊n addition to discussing the sources of PFAS contamination, their impact on water and land, and the ongoing investigation and remediation efforts within the Wolverine Worldwide disposal area in Rockford鈥攁 key site in the fight against PFAS pollution.

Presenters include Karen Vorce (Grand Rapids District Supervisor for the Remediation and Redevelopment Division of EGLE), Heidi Hollenbach (Grand Rapids District Supervisor for the Air Quality Division of EGLE), Kent Walters (Geologist, Materials Management Division of EGLE), and Leah Gies (Senior Environmental Quality Analyst for the Remediation and Redevelopment Division of EGLE). This free event is organized by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and Co-Sponsored by EGLE and the Center for Sustainability at Aquinas College.

"We All Live Here" Service Day/Community Day
Date: April 25, 2025
In celebration of Earth Day, Arbor Day and the Dominican pillars of community and service, the Aquinas College Infrastructure Sustainability Committee is proud to sponsor 鈥淲e All Live Here.鈥� Please join us in a day of service dedicated to the care of our common home. Details to be announced. 

Off-Campus Events

AASHE 2025 Conference & Expo
Dates: October 22, 2025 - October 24, 2025
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
The AASHE Conference & Expo is coming to Minneapolis, MN, on October 22-24, 2025! Get ready for three days of inspiration, collaboration, and insights to drive sustainability in higher education and beyond. Join higher-ed sustainability practitioners, faculty, students, and advocates as we explore bold ideas and solutions. Whether you want to expand your knowledge, share best practices, or connect with peers, this is the place to be. See you in Minneapolis!

Sustainability News

Holiday Update (December 2024):
As we reflect on the past year, we are filled with gratitude for the incredible community at Aquinas College. With a dedicated leadership team shaping a bright future, Saints living out our mission daily, and a vibrant campus welcoming community members who come to enjoy its beauty, there鈥檚 so much to celebrate. The Center for Sustainability remains steadfast in our commitment to fostering an organization rooted in the Triple Bottom Line Framework and empowering personal life skills that promote ecological and human flourishing. Together, we鈥檙e building a sustainable future.

Here are some exciting updates we鈥檙e thrilled to share with you:

• Advancing Climate-Sustainable Education: With support from the Economicology Leadership Fund, the School of Education is enhancing sustainability within the Education major. This year鈥檚 plans include faculty training, sessions with guest experts, and in-depth exploration of academic resources. This initiative aims to equip future educators with tools to integrate climate-conscious practices into their teaching. Learn more about this innovative project in the latest 鈥淭uesdays with Terry鈥� episode.
• Real-Time Weather Data on Campus: Over Thanksgiving, a new Davis Vantage Pro 2 weather station was installed on Albertus Hall, thanks to Jim Rasmussen and Kevin Boyd. Also funded by the Economicology Leadership Fund, this station provides real-time weather data for environmental projects like the River Narrative. Accessible online, the station will enhance classroom learning, engage the public, and contribute to refined local weather models. Learn about the River Narrative Project here.
• Empowering Citizen Scientists: The Aquinas Chemistry Society (ACS) hosted Girl Scouts on November 16th, teaching them how to become 鈥淐itizen Scientists.鈥� Through hands-on activities, the scouts did experiments like water quality testing, explored the trees, created action plans and earned journey patches鈥攑lus, they left inspired to tackle environmental challenges like Buckthorn in their own communities.
• Creating a Legacy of Environmental Justice: Students in Elizabeth Chamberlain's block class, 鈥淯nsung Heroes in Our Backyard: How We Can All Be Social Justice Activists,鈥� dedicated their time to social and environmental justice. They transformed the area near Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel, replacing invasive English ivy with native plants. The new Coldbrook Creek Native Plant Garden, dedicated on November 13th, will stand as a testament to their efforts and the value of experiential learning.
• Celebrating Our Campus Forest: We had an exciting fall focused on our exploring our campus forest and reflecting on the value of nature. Nominated by Coreena Marsiglia, we named the Sugar Maple just west of the Chapel the 2024 "Tree of the Year". The Class of 2028 planted a Shellbark Hickory near Wege Pond as their class tree, bringing us closer to having all Michigan-native species on campus鈥攋ust six more to go! Because Ryan Wendt's outstanding leadership, our campus came alive with K-12 students discovering the wonders of our trees. Ryan led an impressive 56 tours, welcoming a total of 529 visitors to our campus. Truly inspiring work!
• Commitment to Zero Waste: The college remains committed to the Zero Waste Initiative. It is one of the first sustainability initiatives new students are exposed to, offering an easy and practical gateway into living sustainably that continues to develop well after our students graduate. Our waste diversion rate has increased to 63.2%, up from 62.0% last year, thanks to the collective efforts of our amazing community.

Looking for more? Visit our News:Archives page for older news about the Center for Sustainability.