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Ellie Sangree ’24 arrived for her first semester at Hamilton equipped with more than the usual college essentials; she came with a concept for an experiment. It involved eutrophication, which is when excessive nutrients, often from agricultural chemicals, taint a body of water. It’s a major cause of pollution in freshwater and marine ecosystems.

Mian Osumi ’22 currently works as a social media intern for OmniFoods where her tasks include growing its Twitter audience. She will continue her work after graduation at the Hong Kong-based global company that began making plant-based pork for the Asian market.

As an early-career geomorphologist who studies glaciers, polar climate, and climate change, Drew Christ ’11 wasn’t expecting to be in the spotlight. Then he began to research core sediment samples taken in the 1960s from beneath Greenland’s ice sheet.

Hamilton Sustainability Club, HSC, hosted an on-campus thrift shop on Dec. 3, and its success proved thrifting is here to stay. Catherine McFarland `22 explained, “Gen Z is very conscious of our individual footprints and passionate about thrifting, so I thought it was great that HSC was able to bring this opportunity right to the Hill.”

A paper titled “Carbon neutrality should not be the end goal: Lessons for institutional climate action from U.S. higher education,” co-authored by Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Aaron Strong, appears in the September issue of the journal One Earth.

Early this summer, Lilia Harlan ’22 began to strategize about how to connect students and faculty concerned about sustainability and climate change and just. The result — the Sustainability Fair.

“We are responsible for 11,700 tons of carbon in the atmosphere every year,” said Brian Hansen, Hamilton’s director of environmental protection, safety, and sustainability. The reduction of this imposing number, which stands between the College and its goal of carbon neutrality, is being approached from a variety of angles, among them, switching energy systems from fossil fuels to greener sources.

With Earth Day approaching on April 22, student organizations are coming together to increase awareness about environmental issues and celebrate our planet. Participating organizations include the Hamilton Sustainability Coordinators, Voices of Color Lecture Series, Hamilton Sunrise Movement, Shenandoah Kirkland Initiative, and La Vanguardia.

Tucked away in the Taylor Science Center’s greenhouse, a new aquaponics system brims with tilapia, lettuce, and other developing life. Built in 2019 by Hamilton’s Aquaponics Club, the system promotes on-campus food sustainability while also providing a space for students and faculty to learn about aquaponics. And with its accessibility, regular maintenance, and potential to expand with student interest, the system does just that.