The Environmental Future Symposium was a meeting of a wide variety of Sustainable initiatives and research. From Beavers to botany, from the green roof to gardening, sustainability, and the smoothie bike, this event had a lot to offer and was great fun for all in attendance.
The event was held in the plaza and ballroom of the agriculture and natural resources building, a new mainstay of many Herbert students. The plaza exemplifies the very substantial and well-planned architecture of the building, and it truly is an impressive and beautiful addition to UT’s building portfolio. It was a warm and warm day, but the plaza kept everyone in attendance shaded, and able to keep to conversations about their sustainable initiatives.
Sustainability, as outlined by the United Nations, focuses on an array of goals and measurements for more positive interactions with the environment. Present at the event we had community members, graduate students, Office of Sustainability interns and student workers, professors, department heads, community partners, and facilities, all of which helped to make this event focused on this institution’s relationship with the environment.
Current interns were able to present ongoing work concerning food security, the pollinator garden in Reese Hall Plaza, a campus emissions report, and more!
The real meat of the event came in the late afternoon when the Office of Sustainability staff presented on the future of sustainable initiatives on campus, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and indigenous justice and environmental philosophy. This is what Ellie Bernstein, Student Assistant and Co-Presenter at the Environmental Future Symposium, had to say on her experience and hopes for the future of this event:
“Engaging with the researchers tabling their work and presenting myself at the Environmental Future Symposium was a greatly rewarding experience! I had the chance to co-present with Ben on the Tennessee Valley Authority’s environmental and political implications, as well as the feasibility of a future energy transition. As an undergraduate student, it was a great opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and discuss impactful topics in front of a crowd. Overall, it’s inspiring to see a room of people – students, professors, and professionals – united by a shared passion for improving our relationship with our environment and all eager to learn. In coming years, I’d love to see this symposium grow into an annual event where undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and professionals can showcase their research niches through tabling and presentations. By continuing to create space for student organizations to connect with attendees, encouraging networking, and, of course, providing great food, I hope this event will become a staple for an interdisciplinary and environmentally conscious community at the University of Tennessee. Huge thanks to Ben for organizing such a meaningful event!”
The Office of Sustainability hopes to make this an annual event, showcasing our goals, community developments and providing the space for indigenous advocacy. We sincerely thank all of those who attended and helped to make this event such a great success. We hope to see more UT students next spring for the second annual Environmental Future Symposium!