Office for Sustainability

Trees do more than make our surroundings beautiful. They play a vital role in keeping our communities healthy, especially during the summer months. From cooling our neighborhoods and improving air quality to supporting wildlife and storing carbon, trees provide benefits that extend far beyond their shade. As temperatures rise, protecting and expanding the tree canopy is one way we can build more resilient communities for people and nature...

UR professors always have an appetite for learning something new. 🧠 And we were happy to provide them with a few sustainability ideas to chew on. Over the summer, the Office for Sustainability led this year’s cohort of the River City Project, a faculty development workshop that helps professors integrate sustainability topics into their syllabi. This workshop is a fantastic opportunity to connect with other environmentally-minded...

This summer, wildfire smoke became hard to ignore. 🔥 From hazy skies to air quality alerts, smoke from wildfires in Canada and across the U.S. traveled far beyond the flames, even reaching Virginia. But what happens when smoky skies become a part of childhood? A recent story from Grist explores how repeated wildfire smoke exposure can affect more than children's physical health. It can disrupt opportunities for play, affect learning, and...

The Office for Sustainability has found a new home on campus! 🏠 Swing by Richmond Hall (by the fountain across from the library) to say “hi” to Rob, Daniel, and Haley. The new space in Richmond Hall features a great co-working area, perfect for collaboration and team gatherings. And, you can find Joseph in the Physical Plant, or more likely, out in the Eco-Corridor, keeping a watchful eye over the garden, Farmette, orchard, honey bees,...