A Finder of Hidden Gems
Environmental educator Conrad Baker ’14 combines his journalism background with his enthusiasm for nature. by Robyn Rime From the joy of seeing his first-ever mourning cloak butterfly to the architectural history of an old stone wall, Conrad Baker ’14 finds magic in nature’s details. Happily, as an environmental educator for Letchworth State Park, he gets to share that enchantment with others every day. “In some ways, Western New York...
A Fight to Be (Finally) Heard
The environmental justice movement was launched by residents who suffered consequences of pollution and other issues — and refused to be ignored. By Kris Dreessen In the late 19th century, John Muir’s writings and advocacy focusing on the Sierra Nevada mountains sparked discussions about protecting wild spaces, ultimately leading to the creation of Yosemite National Park and other preserves. That passion forprotecting wildlife...
VIDEO: A Finder of Hidden Natural Gems
Meet English major Conrad Baker ’14, who turned his love of nature and exploration into a career in multimedia and outdoor education at Letchworth State Park. Storytelling, which he developed at Geneseo, is the basis of his work.
New Sustainability Major Grows in Popularity
Courses and experiences prepare students for careers in fields from renewable energy to finance. By Kris Dreessen Learn about how Geneseo is addressing sustainability in the world without our interactive map. Katelyn Adis ’24 entered Geneseo undeclared, open to trying many courses and activities in which she had interest, including dance, anthropology and environmental issues. She helped plan campus Earth Week events and joined...
The Big Idea: Tackling Waste and Transparency Worldwide
View our interactive map to learn how alumni and the College are addressing the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals Peter Johnson ’02 is addressing the global problem of food waste and creating greater transparency and fairness in supply chains, worldwide. By Kris Dreessen From harvest to dinner table, 30 percent of all food produced globally goes to waste, the United Nations estimates, which impacts the environment, workers and food...
How to: Your Food Scraps, Renewed!
Geneseo’s sustainability experts share simple steps to compost at home. By Mat Johnson “Some things just take time — like good wine and compost,” says Dan DeZarn, Geneseo’s director of sustainability. Technically, composting is “the decomposition of organic waste,” says DeZarn, himself a backyard composter. In any active compost pile, oxygen-seeking bacteria are busy breaking down organic material. The result is a soil-like material...
Ideas So Good They Stuck
Some of Geneseo’s innovative ideas came from students who saw a need and led the way. By Kris Dreessen As a first-year student, Allison Hoppe ’13 joined the Geneseo Environmental Organization. She found friends who shared an interest and then a calling: to build a community for like-minded students to learn about sustainability and adopt a more conscious lifestyle. Dreaming, planning and effort by Hoppe and others opened Eco House in...
Epiphany: Caretakers for Future Generations
Protecting wildlands and volunteering on behalf of Geneseo highlights the true value of strengthening what each of us holds most dear. By Jessica L. Blair ’00 I live on the ancestral lands of the Lakota people, near Bdote, where the Mississippi River converges with the Minnesota River, in the city of Minneapolis. Before being forced to cede their home to European settlers in treaty after treaty, Indigenous people stewarded the lands...
Video: The Simple Life, Unplugged
At Geneseo, Nik Varrone is the support services manager for IT. At home, he and his wife, Anya, run a farm and plows the land using a method that was most popular in the 1700s. The Varrones use horse plowing and have created a lifestyle that fits their beliefs, goals and is more sustainable. “If you look at what we do from the outside, it looks simple,” says Nik Varrone, Geneseo’s support services manager in the IT...
Video: A Forest Sanctuary
Geneseo’s Director of Sustainability Dan DeZarn and Kimberly Keil-DeZarn ’06 show us around their home, which they’ve built to have many sustainability related features. It’s even built from mostly recycled and reclaimed...
