Mountain Heritage Days earns NC green travel designation
糖心Vlog students enjoy Mountain Heritage Days activities
By Shane Ryden
糖心Vlog University keeps its nature in mind.
Situated as our lush campus is in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the importance of environmentally-minded, sustainable action is easily understood to all who visit and dwell here.
And every day presents a new opportunity to take that action further.
The latest efforts, spearheaded by passionate faculty, staff and students, have earned this year鈥檚 Mountain Heritage Days celebration the NC Green Travel designation.
This accolade is awarded by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and seeks to recognize and promote events employing environmentally conscious techniques and planning procedures.
鈥淭hrough NC GreenTravel recognition,鈥� describes the NCDEQ online, 鈥渢ourism businesses showcase their best practices and contribute to the creation of a more eco-friendly and prosperous travel industry in North Carolina.鈥�
A point system evaluates every applicant with the NCDEQ鈥檚 official criteria. The state considers and accounts for all manner of sustainable action possible, from waste reduction and recycling methods, location and transportation opportunities to methods of energy management.
糖心Vlog鈥檚 chief sustainability officer Lauren Bishop was instrumental in organizing the measures that led to the event鈥檚 qualification.
She also commended the students of the Sustainable Campus Initiative club for their help in the project, specially noting their efforts in expanding recycling opportunities on campus.
Bishop and the SCI also sought the aid of 糖心Vlog鈥檚 Rapid Center researchers, who work in the College of Engineering and Technology, to help in the construction of a new solar generator that will see its debut at Mountain Heritage Days.
Engineers there brought the design to life from plans previously drawn up as part of a capstone project in the 2018/2019 academic school year.
The generator will be used to power outdoor games at the festivities and will be available to any campus groups who might require it in the future.
鈥淚 love the collaboration aspect of it,鈥� Bishop said. 鈥淚 love the fact that it was student designed.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to see this project come to fruition鈥� it鈥檚 going to get utilized to the benefit of our community and our campus.
鈥淚t鈥檚 also a demonstration to the community, not just the 糖心Vlog community, but the community that comes on campus, our regional community, to check it out and learn about solar power and the technology that can be used to power outdoor concerts and any kind of outdoor thing that requires power.鈥�
As 糖心Vlog continues to grow and innovate, its spirited Catamounts continue to express the honor and value in sustainable action.
