Sustainability is about connections.
We are connected to each other, to our built environments, to our natural environments, and to our cultural environments. Sustainability seeks to acknowledge those connections and create a more equitable and respectful space for everyone and everything in our environment.
Tour the Kate Chandler Farm
Upcoming Events
There are no upcoming events in this category. Please check back later.
Annual Events
Bay to Bay Service Day
Every April, the Office of Sustainability hosts an on-campus project for students and local alumni that focuses on improving the natural campus environment.
Polar Bear Plunge
In February or March, students promote awareness of climate change by plunging into the frigid St. Mary’s River. Sometimes a fundraiser is also held to provide funds to a group or cause related to climate change issues.
Seahawk Salvage
During move-out week, the Office of Sustainability rents trailers for Seahawks to divert their unwanted furniture and used items to the FreeStore or local charities, rather than throw them away. We also accept cardboard boxes and offer free boxes for move-out (available at the FreeStore in QA).
Community Swap
At least once a year, the entire SMCM community gathers to showcase their upcycled items, get ideas for creative reusing or repurposing, and trade used items with one another instead of throwing them away. The Community Swap will usually have a focus area to encourage more creative solutions for a specific waste stream.
Earth Month & Arbor Week
During the week of Earth Day and Arbor Day (at the end of April), we celebrate with workshops, movie screenings, events, cleanups, tree plantings, and other projects that focus on creating a more engaged and sustainable campus.
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week brings the campus community together to learn about and reflect on issues of food insecurity and housing access at both local and national levels. Through volunteer opportunities and educational programming, the week encourages students to engage with these challenges thoughtfully and to consider their roles in building more equitable and resilient communities.
Composting
Composting is currently available for townhouse residents, who maintain compost buckets collected weekly by our Green Systems interns. The collected food scraps are brought to the Kate Chandler Campus Community Farm, where they are transformed into compost that enriches soil and supports campus food production.
This program builds on existing efforts and is part of a broader USDA SARE funded initiative to expand composting access across campus in the coming months and years.
If you are interested in participating, need a compost bucket, or have questions about what can be composted, please contact sustainability@smcm.edu
Sustainability Opportunities
Sustainability is an incredibly complicated and intertwined subject that is always changing. There is no perfect solution, but there is always something we can do better. Each step, no matter how small, will get us closer to a sustainable future. We know we cannot do this without you so thank you so much for taking steps to become more sustainable!
The Sustainability Fellow
Connect with our Sustainability Fellow to learn more about campus sustainability efforts, environmental programs, opportunities for involvement, and ways to help create a more sustainable campus community.
