Students for Environmental Sustainability has formed a partnership with Culinary Services to continue KSU’s mission to reduce its carbon footprint on the world. SES is dedicated to promoting environmental, social and economic sustainability within the community.
UrbanHarvest.com defines permaculture as an “ecological, holistic and sustainable design system and philosophy for human living spaces.” Permaculture began in the 1970s as a collaborative project between Bill Mollison and David Holmgren at the University of Tasmania.
According to SES, the group is an “Enactus Project at KSU.” Enactus.org states that it is an organization that seeks “to enable progress through entrepreneurial action.” The word broken down is: en–act– us, which is entrepreneurial, action and us.
SES wants to bring awareness to KSU students, faculty and staff about sustainable living and the benefits of buying and eating locally grown organic food. In fact, SES has created a campus permaculture garden that is located between Lot A and the new lab building. The group wants to use the garden to “set the precedent for the food and nutritional education” for the campus.
The permaculture project is a hands-on-project that students can become involved with as it continues to grow. Students will be able to attend workshops where they can learn the permaculture principles.
“Well, it is all in work in progress,” co-project manager Brandon Butler said, Butler and his friend James Bale, the other co-project manager, put together the design committee and are currently meeting twice a week r to try to finalize the dates for the workshops.
Butler explained that the sowing season is quickly approaching and that the committee is currently working to develop a list of plants. Therefore, he believes that the next workshop will be on planting. The committee just needs to finalize the details like dates, materials and cost with Culinary Services to continue to move forward with the project.
SES not only planned and executed the permaculture project, but is also developing its own curriculum regarding permaculture and its sustainability principles. SES strongly believes that these principles are critical for the re-education of the next generation and therefore the group will present its project as a demonstration to K-12 schools and other universities.
