Students, faculty members and Auburn community members came together to understand the significance of sustainability at the sixth annual Sustainability Picnic.
The picnic, held on Aug. 22 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Donald E. Davis Arboretum, allowed for participants to learn about the impact of sustainability by interacting with various student groups and community organizations.
Roughly 25 organizations were present, including the Horticulture Club, Organic Garden Club, Campus Kitchens, Environmental Action Committee and Alabama Water Watch.
Participants at the zero-waste picnic engaged in activities such as winning door prizes, throwing frisbees, eating healthy foods and playing with Aubie.
The event was slated to reach 400 participants, according to Crystal Boutwell, who worked at Auburn University’s Office of Sustainability during her time as an undergraduate.
“That is 400 students, faculty, staff and community members who may not have known anything about sustainability and who are going to be impacted in some kind of way today,” Boutwell said. “Sustainability really affects all of us. No matter what your major is or your interests are, there is something in your life that is going to be impacted by sustainability. This will help connect people back to the world.”
Boutwell also said that part of the picnic’s goal was to educate incoming freshmen students on how sustainability can help them transition into a healthy lifestyle while at college.
Upon entry into the event, participants were given a bingo card, which they could get stamped by visiting the correct organization tables and ultimately win prizes.
Matt Ingram, a recent graduate in agricultural economics, and Davis Quill Johnson, a second-year student in environmental design with a minor in sustainability, both attended and enjoyed the event.
“I think the bingo idea is a really good one,” Ingram said. “It gets people involved with all the tables and keeps people interested by giving out prizes. It’s a really neat event for plugging students into organizations on campus.”
The concept of the Sustainability Picnic was cultivated by organizations such as Tiger Dining, Academic Sustainability Programs and the Davis Arboretum.
“Events like these are very engaging and get people attracted to them and gives them the opportunity to learn more about it if they’re unfamiliar,” Johnson added.
Mike Kensler, director of the Office of Sustainability, explained the widespread importance of sustainability and how it affects all aspects of life.
“Sustainability is core to anyone’s education, and it’s a worldview that helps us connect what we care about to a life of meaning,” Kensler said. “Actively, everyone wants to make a difference, and sustainability is a way to help us do that.”
The impetus for the picnic was a series of conversations between members of the Waste Reduction and Recycling department within the Office of Sustainability.
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