Vision of Environmental Stewardship

Catawba President Craig Turner is quite clear about his environmental vision for the college: The goal is to erase the college’s carbon footprint and become carbon neutral.

“We have the opportunity with our wonderful Center for the Environment to make some progress in that area because we have people who are uniquely trained and gifted to help us move in that direction,” he says.

Turner is pleased that the Facilities Department – particularly its Office of Waste Management and Recycling -- has taken a leadership role in greening the campus, but he wants everyone on campus to adopt environmentally friendly ways. He praises the faculty, staff and students for their creative ideas and notes that this year’s SGA is already exploring ways members can help with the effort.

His own passion for the environment is grounded in a commitment to future generations. Turner’s twin 3 ½-year-old granddaughters bring his vision for Catawba into the personal realm. “How can I look at them and not do the things we need to do to try to improve the world?” he asks. “My generation has been very careless about these things. We have lived as if there was enough good air and good water to supply us forever, and clearly that’s not the case.

“We’re going to do our best here at Catawba to make it a better world for the grandchildren that are coming along now,” he says. “We owe it to them.”

Catawba’s commitment to campus greening can be seen in a number of sustainable efforts.

• The college used re-circulated water from the geothermal well system to refill the college’s heated 210,000-gallon swimming pool.
• With the help of alumnus Bill Godley ’76 of Godley’s Garden Center, the college converted a 6,000-gallon fountain to a planter for native species, which require little water and maintenance.
• It can now capture and store runoff water from the geothermal system to irrigate the 30 acres of sports fields on campus, thanks to a gift from trustee Jim Hurley.
• In the past two years, the college has recycled 175 tons of materials, generating $11,876 in revenue and saving an estimated $5,600 in tonnage that did not go into the landfill.
• The college uses virtually all green cleaning products.
• Its five new residence halls have received the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification.
• The college is pursing advanced LEED certification for the Center for the Environment facility.
• The college is exploring additional solar options as an energy source and is considering replacing campus vehicles with electric ones.

Turner is dedicated to educating Catawba students about how and why they should become good stewards of the environment. Many of the things they can do are simple and common-sense efforts: turning off lights and computers when they are not in use, closing windows in classrooms when they leave, turning off the water when they brush their teeth.

Others require a problem-solving mindset that places the environment at the fore. “One of the things that is most impressive about Catawba College is the willingness of so many people to devote their time and energy to these environmental efforts,” Turner says. “We are also fortunate to have a board of trustees that is dedicated to this vision. It’s great to see that kind of commitment in a small liberal arts college in North Carolina.”