Sustainable Buffs

Meet Sustainable Buffs: Find your way to get involved at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder

Megan M Rogers — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 17:31:17 +0000

Meet Sustainable Buffs: Find your way to get involved at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Megan M Rogers Fri, 09/04/2026 - 11:31

Explore five pillars of sustainability—from zero waste and transportation to climate justice—and find a place to start that matches your interests.

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Ride smart: Tips for safe and sustainable campus cycling

Megan M Rogers — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 16:27:43 +0000

Ride smart: Tips for safe and sustainable campus cycling Megan M Rogers Tue, 08/25/2026 - 10:27

Biking is one of the most popular ways to navigate campus and Boulder. Here are some tips to help you maintain and protect your bike for a convenient and sustainable way to get around.

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Meet the Environmental Board: How students are helping shape a more sustainable �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder

Megan M Rogers — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:25:53 +0000

Meet the Environmental Board: How students are helping shape a more sustainable �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Megan M Rogers Mon, 08/24/2026 - 12:25

From funding innovative sustainability projects to connecting students with campus leaders, the �鶹��Ѱ��Student Government (CUSG) Environmental Board plays an important role in advancing sustainability across �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder. Board co-chairs Jules Immonen and Piper Rausch discuss what the student-led board does, how it supports the campus community and why they're inviting more Buffs to get involved this fall.

What is the Environmental Board?

The Environmental Board is a student-led joint board within CUSG dedicated to supporting sustainability initiatives across campus. The board oversees funding for the Environmental Center, which was founded by students in 1970 as the nation’s first student-led environmental center and has since grown into one of the largest and longest-standing centers of its kind. The board also awards Sustainable �鶹��Ѱ��Grants that help bring new sustainability ideas to life.

While the board works closely with campus partners, students lead the decision-making process, giving them a direct voice in shaping sustainability efforts at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder.

What does the board do?

One of the board's biggest responsibilities is managing the Sustainable �鶹��Ѱ��Grant program, which provides funding for projects led by students, faculty and staff. Applicants submit proposals each fall and spring, present their ideas to the board and participate in a multiple round review process.

This past academic year, the board awarded nearly $100,000 to projects across campus, including reusable takeout container pilots, reusable lab coat programs, and new and improved campus waste and recycling signage.

Beyond grant funding, board members collaborate with sustainability teams across campus, helping connect students with university leaders to advance ideas with lasting campuswide impact.

How does the board fit into �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder's larger sustainability efforts?

According to Immonen and Rausch, the Environmental Board helps bridge student ideas with university action.

How to get involved

The Environmental Board is looking for new members this fall, and everyone is welcome to attend.

Meetings will be held Wednesdays from 6 to 7:15 p.m. throughout the semester and can be attended in person or via Zoom. To receive meeting information and join the Environmental Board mailing list, email eboard@colorado.edu.

Students from engineering and environmental studies to business, music and beyond bring their own interests and perspectives to the table. Whether someone is passionate about green chemistry, waste reduction or sustainable business practices, the board helps connect those ideas with the people and resources needed to move them forward.

The board also regularly collaborates with campus partners, including the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Sustainability, the SPIKE Center for Sustainability Education and others across campus to increase student involvement and collaboration on sustainability efforts.

Who can participate?

Anyone interested in sustainability is welcome to attend meetings and get involved.

The board currently has seven voting members, several open board positions and additional opportunities to participate through committees and project teams. Students who attend meetings can begin contributing right away, even before becoming voting members.

"We want sustainability to be something everyone feels connected to," said Piper. "No matter what you're studying, there's a place for your ideas."

What is the board's vision for sustainability at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder?

For Immonen and Rausch, the goal is making sustainability a natural part of the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder experience.

They envision a campus where sustainability is visible in everyday life, where students from every discipline see themselves as part of the solution and where innovative ideas can grow into lasting change. They also hope the board continues to connect students with leadership, real-world projects and future careers in sustainability.

The �鶹��Ѱ��Student Government Environmental Board funds sustainability projects, connects students with campus partners and provides opportunities for Buffs from across the university to help shape a more sustainable campus.

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What is sustainability leadership? Students share insights from research and practice

Megan M Rogers — Tue, 19 May 2026 20:53:07 +0000

What is sustainability leadership? Students share insights from research and practice Megan M Rogers Tue, 05/19/2026 - 14:53

Angie Balish and Erin Bucchin

Angie Balish , Erin Bucchin

Angie Balish and Erin Bucchin

This spring, Masters of the Environment (MENV) graduate students Angie Balish and Erin Bucchin set out to better understand how MENV can better support future sustainability leaders.

But what is sustainability leadership?

Between interviews with sustainability leaders, literature review and research into sustainability leadership programs, Balish and Bucchin discovered that definitions vary wildly—and perhaps that means that leadership should, too.

The students set out to define sustainability leadership and identify the core competencies of sustainability leaders, supported by funding through �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder's Center for Leadership and Affiliate Leadership Accelerator Bootcamp (A-LAB).

Stefanie Johnson, director of the Center for Leadership and professor in the Leeds School of Business, noted: “The students in the MENV program are already coming in with outstanding technical and leadership skills. The Center for Leadership is thrilled to support them and other groups on campus by investing in their continued leadership growth.”

The team conducted a literature review of academic sources and established leadership programs and interviewed sustainability leaders across �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and the broader Colorado sustainability community, including MENV faculty, program administrators and practitioners who offered insight into what makes sustainability leaders effective and how students can practice to become leaders.

Defining sustainability leadership

One of the clearest takeaways was that there is no single, universal definition of sustainability leadership. Some leaders described it as a distinct skillset unique to sustainability, while others saw it as strong leadership applied within an environmental and social context.

What united these perspectives was an acknowledgment of the “wickedness” and complexity of sustainability challenges, in that they are interconnected, critical and constantly evolving at global scales that need to be addressed collectively. Thus, sustainability leadership is less about fixed or positional authority and more about having the skills and expertise to collaboratively navigate change, adapt quickly and work across boundaries.

Key takeaways

Sustainability leadership is grounded in...

Systems thinking
Collaboration
Communication
Adaptability

Sustainability leadership is shaped by values like...

Integrity
Curiosity
Accountability

Through Balish and Bucchin's interviews and literature review, a set of core competencies emerged. Among them, systems thinking stood out as foundational. Sustainability leaders emphasized the ability to understand how environmental, social and economic systems interact, and to make decisions informed by this interconnectedness.

Natalie Ooi—associate chair of the MENV Professional Master's Program and lead of MENV's sustainability in outdoor industry specialization—spoke to this, saying that leaders need “the ability to think expansively, draw those connections, think beyond a particular project or idea, and start to think holistically about how this all interconnects and intertwines.”

Closely tied to this idea was collaboration and engagement—the ability to build relationships, foster trust and mobilize others were consistently named as essential in Balish and Bucchin's inquiry. Leadership, in this context, is not individualistic; it is collective and relational.

Communication and storytelling also surfaced as indispensable, as sustainability leaders must be able to translate complex ideas across audiences, facilitate dialogue and inspire action.

Resilience and adaptability were highlighted as necessary competencies for navigating a field that is often emotionally and professionally demanding. Interviewed leaders spoke to the importance of sustaining not just systems—but themselves—by balancing urgency with longevity in their work.

Another key takeaway was how these leaders developed their skills. Interestingly, few pointed to formal training alone. Instead, they emphasized learning through experiences such as previous roles, mentorship and opportunities for both taking risks and reflection.

“It is critical to understand the technical aspects of whatever sustainability issue we’re working on. Also, there are advocacy and communication components that are key. How we articulate the technical solutions can be what actually moves the idea to real world impact.”
–Vice Chancellor for Sustainability Andrew Mayock

Leadership, they suggested, is not innate or fixed. It is something that can be practiced, shaped and expanded over time.

Josh Radoff, director of campus climate action, sustainability and resilience and lead of MENV's renewable and sustainable energy specialization, noted: “There's not one single archetype of what a leader looks like. Whatever your role is, there's an opportunity for leadership within that role, even if you're not in a leadership role,” highlighting the many different ways leaders can show up with intention and impact. This is exactly how students can practice leadership right now within their own programs, at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and in their communities.

Ultimately, this work suggests that sustainability leadership is grounded in systems thinking, collaboration, communication and adaptability, and shaped by values like integrity, curiosity and accountability. These competencies enable leaders to take on complex, “unsolvable” problems and still move work forward.

The future of MENV

Balish and Bucchin's work will inspire a future program for MENV that will fill a gap in leadership education.

Alice Reznickova—associate director of MENV, teaching associate professor and capstone lead—who brought this project to MENV shared: “The grant we received supported Angie and Erin’s work to design a program for students based on their experiences—they did a phenomenal job exploring and then teaching me what sustainability leadership means. We will implement their plan immediately so that the next generation of students can benefit from their work!”

Looking ahead, the next step is translating these insights into practice. A pilot sustainability leadership certification within the MENV program will provide students with flexible, experiential opportunities to build these competencies through mentorship, reflection and applied learning all the while formulating a sustainability leadership definition for themselves.

On Balish and Bucchin's voyage to define sustainability leadership, one conclusion became clear: It is not a static label but a practice. And in a field defined by complexity and change, it is practice rooted in key competencies that equips leaders to address the challenges ahead.

Angie Balish and Erin Bucchin outline their work to better understand how the Masters of the Environment graduate program can support future sustainability leaders.

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Advice from Sustainable Buffs on being a conscious consumer

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:11:42 +0000

Advice from Sustainable Buffs on being a conscious consumer Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/15/2026 - 14:11

Sustainability starts with making the most of what you already have. When you do need to buy something, there are ways to make choices that are better for the planet.

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Coping with climate anxiety

Megan M Rogers — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 21:15:37 +0000

Coping with climate anxiety Megan M Rogers Tue, 04/14/2026 - 15:15

Climate anxiety describes emotional distress related to climate change. Learning ways to cope can help you process these feelings, avoid burnout and stay connected to everyday life—while still caring about the future. Here are some strategies to try.

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3 reasons to attend the Campus Sustainability Summit on April 15

Megan M Rogers — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:36:45 +0000

3 reasons to attend the Campus Sustainability Summit on April 15 Megan M Rogers Fri, 04/03/2026 - 12:36

Whether sustainability is central to your studies or work, or it's something you're just beginning to explore, the Campus Sustainability Summit offers practical ideas, inspiring perspectives and opportunities to get involved. Here are few reasons to attend this year.

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Moving out? Here's what to do with your stuff

Megan M Rogers — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:37:12 +0000

Moving out? Here's what to do with your stuff Megan M Rogers Fri, 04/03/2026 - 07:37

Environmental Center

Whether you're moving out of a residence hall or your place off campus, figuring out what to keep, donate or toss doesn't have to be overwhelming. From donation stations to summer storage, here's a guide to your main options and how to make the most of them.

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Small changes, big impact: Going zero waste

Megan M Rogers — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 16:08:34 +0000

Small changes, big impact: Going zero waste Megan M Rogers Thu, 12/04/2025 - 09:08

Check out this guide from the Environmental Center for easy, practical steps to reduce waste and help make our community more sustainable.

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Easy ways you can save money and live sustainably

Megan M Rogers — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 19:46:52 +0000

Easy ways you can save money and live sustainably Megan M Rogers Wed, 10/15/2025 - 13:46

Looking for simple ways to help the environment and save money while you’re at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder? Energy conservation is a great place to start. Here are a few practical tips to try this semester.

Looking for simple ways to help the environment and save money while you're at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder? Energy conservation is a great place to start. Here are a few practical tips to try this semester.

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Sustainable Buffs

Meet Sustainable Buffs: Find your way to get involved at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder

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How does the board fit into �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder's larger sustainability efforts?

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Meet Sustainable Buffs: Find your way to get involved at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder

Meet the Environmental Board: How students are helping shape a more sustainable �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder

How does the board fit into �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder's larger sustainability efforts?

What is the board's vision for sustainability at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder?