Wolfpack Sustainability Groups Earn Campus, Local Honors

The NC State Stewards received the City of Raleigh’s Organization Award at the annual Environmental Awards ceremony on April 21.

Solar umbrella charging stations on campus. Energy and water competitions in residence halls. Removal of plastic bags from major campus dining facilities and convenience stores. That’s just some of what the NC State Stewards student organization accomplished in its first three years, and it’s progress that recently captured campus and local honors.

The NC State Stewards, an interdisciplinary group of 40 students who advance sustainability on campus, were honored by their peers at the campus L.E.A.D. Awards with the Student Organization Award of Distinction, which recognizes exceptional leadership and significant contributions to NC State, its students and the community. The Stewards’ advisor, Rebekah Dunstan, was also honored with student organization advisor award.

The City of Raleigh also noted the Stewards’ accomplishments by honoring the group with the outstanding organization award at the city’s 2016 Environmental Awards ceremony on April 21.

“These awards would not have been possible without the hard work of each student who has been apart of the program thus far. The passion and drive that I have witnessed over the past three years directly translates to our ability to tackle key environmental issues at NC State,” said Amelia Fujikawa, student coordinator for the NC State Stewards. “I can’t wait to see how our impact on campus expands; this is only just the beginning.”

NC State’s Agroecology Education Farm received the City of Raleigh’s Education Award at the annual Environmental Awards ceremony on April 21.

NC State’s Agroecology Education Farm was also honored by the City of Raleigh with the Education Award for providing hands-on learning opportunities about sustainable agriculture.

Dedicated in 2006 as part of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the farm also provides produce for campus dining halls.

Other City of Raleigh environmental award honorees with university connections include Individual Award winner Erin White, who graduated from and taught at NC State; an Urban Agriculture Award for Advocates for Health in Action to add edible landscaping along a stretch of greenway through campus; and top prizes in the Trashion Fashion Design Competition for College of Textiles students Jessica Crabtree, Amber Beasley, Jillian Brownell and Ting-Yu Yeh.

The university won City of Raleigh’s highest environmental honor — the Environmental Stewardship Award — in 2013.