Second annual Spirit of Sustainability awards
The age of excess is over. Now is the time to live sustainably. On April 22, the second annual Spirit of Sustainability awards, held by the office of sustainability, will recognize certain individuals and groups for their contribution to improving sustainability and outstanding environmental work in Auburn and around the country. "Engagement, passion and impact, that's what we're looking for in the awards," said Jennifer Morse, Communication and Outreach Manager for the office of sustainability. "The initiative that they're working with has actually made an impact (on the environment), and the degree to which it has engaged and involved other people; that's what we're looking for." Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and distinguished friends of Auburn can all be nominated by their peers for the award and recognition by the school for their work in all forms of sustainability, which includes issues like social justice, hunger and personal well-being. Charlene LeBleu, associate professor of landscape architecture, was a Spirit of Sustainability finalist in 2012 for her work to integrate sustainability research into classes like landscape ecology and storm water construction. LeBleu, who directed campus projects that include everything from water-permeable concrete to rain gardens and cisterns, works with natural systems instead of merely controlling them "Last year, we did the cistern and rain garden at the AU Raptor Center and rain garden at Dudley Hall, the architecture building," LeBleu said. " The cisterns hold a thousand gallons of water collected from the roof. The interesting thing about the one at the raptor center, the water is used for flushing the toilets. There were eleven finalists for the first Spirit of Sustainability Awards in 2012, including Emil Topel, senior executive chef of Tiger Dining, Dee Smith, curator of the Davis Arboretum and 1988 Auburn alumnus Jacquelyn Overbey Hart. One of the Spirit Award's most prolific groups was the Auburn chapter of the Real Food Challenge, an organization based on its members' commitment to getting Auburn's dining programs to use 20% "real" food by 2020. "The organization defines "real" food as locally produced, ecologically sound, fair and humane," said Rosco Davis, founder of and former president of the Real Food Challenge's Auburn chapter. "It's food that's good for people's bodies, and its also good for the planet and the community; so it's food that meets that triple bottom-line standard of sustainability. It supports well-being and the planet, and it's ecologically stable also." Davis and other members of the Real Food Challenge met with the heads of Tiger Dining to figure out what Auburn consumed the most and how to bring more locally grown food, as well as bringing reusable silverware into dining halls around campus. The Real Food Challenge established a permanent presence on campus through the community garden located at the intersection of Donahue and Samford, which is available to anyone interested in growing their own food. "When we went to the award ceremony and we got the award, that felt like graduation for me," Davis said. There's plenty of food on campus, so people don't really realize that there's anything wrong until you start talking about it and raise awareness. That's all we wanted to do was raise awareness and figure out how Auburn could get more local food." There is no limit to the number of awards that are given out, but there is one award reserved for students who, according to the Office of Sustainability's website, "exemplify the level of passion and commitment to sustainability as the award's namesake, William L. Olsen." Olsen, who passed away in 2012 after an eleven-year battle with cancer, was involved with sustainability at Auburn since his freshman year and was the founder of Auburn's current recycling program as well as initiatives in organic gardening, waste management and alternative fuels. The first recipient of the Olsen Award was Nathan Warner, a 2012 graduate in ecological engineering, recognized for the achievements in sustainability. Warner also was voted Outstanding Biosystems Engineering Student in 2012. "[Olsen] was in chemical engineering and he was one of our office interns," Morse said. "Just a very wonderful passionate person with a very positive outlook. We kind of share his story through this." The Second annual Spirit of Sustainability Awards will be held on Cater Lawn Tuesday, April 22 at 6 p.m. To nominate someone for a Spirit of Sustainability Award, please visit the Office of Sustainability's website at www.auburn.edu/sustainability