Club Feature: Stewards of Sustainability

By: Bryn Heikes                                           

Through seed-planting parties, environmental documentary nights, and a variety of other events, the Stewards of Sustainability Club (SSC) at George Fox University (GFU) leaves the world a little better than they found it. This sentiment is echoed in their mission statement, which reads, “The mission of this club is to educate, empower and involve George Fox students in more sustainable lifestyles and practices.”

Club President Sydney Schroeder adds, “We want to foster a community here at GFU that pushes people to think about sustainability.” For Schroeder, the basis for the club is found in Scripture. “Look back at the Bible,” she says, “We are called to be stewards of the earth and take care of it.”

Schroeder is relatively new to the position after it sort of fell in her lap last semester. “I had gotten interested in starting a community garden on campus, and I had heard about the Stewards of Sustainability club as a freshman,” she says. “And I thought, ‘Maybe I should get in contact with them and see if they’d be interested.’” So, Schroeder did just that, sending an email to the  club president. Eventually, she learned that the president had graduated the spring prior, and the club was essentially inactive. 

Around that time, Alana Young, current Vice President of SSC, had begun a sustainability journey of her own. “After preparing more meals for myself than I had in previous years and realizing how many food scraps that entails, I had emailed ASC asking if Fox had ever considered making composting available on campus. ASC pointed me in the direction of Sydney,” Young says. From there, the two embarked on a path that eventually led back to the previous officers of the SSC, who offered them both the opportunity to take over. “And now we’re up and running again! This is a fun and exciting adventure,” says Schroeder. 

Going forward, Schroeder hopes to emphasize the gardening aspect of the club, while still maintaining the club’s original focus. Already, they have hosted a seed planting party behind HMS, and gardening events should be expected more frequently as the weather warms up. “Once [the garden] is up and running, there will be more to do with the community garden, located near Roy Apartments and headed up by our advisor [Seth Vandereems], by way of learning and working!” says Young. 

Additionally, the club is planning a series of upcycling events, such as making tote bags, terrariums, or DIY natural cleaning supplies. In April, they are hoping to host a beach clean-up. “We would like to cater events to member interests with Sydney's underlying gardening passion and obligations in mind and my interest in reducing waste also as a driving factor in the events we plan,” says Young. “Ultimately, I hope this club creates a space on campus for students to get together and learn alongside one another about living a more sustainable life.”

Those who are interested in participating in any SSC events can reach out to Schroeder at sschroeder18@georgefox.edu. Also, keep an eye out for announcements in the Daily Bruin!