A brief overview of recent student initiated environmental movements in Sewanee
2003 – The EcoHouse is formed; the Environmental Residents Program is born; the first Environmental Studies majors graduate; Aramark brings some locally grown foods to McClurg
2004 – Vice Chancellor Joel Cunningham signs the Talloires Declaration; University commits to buying clean energy through TVA’s Green Power Switch Program
2005 – First Eco-Cup, an inter-dorm challenge to save energy and water, is held across campus
2006 – Community, students and faculty rally to save Lake Dimmick
2007 – Vice Chancellor Joel Cunningham signs the Presidential Climate Commitment that vows to move towards becoming a carbon neutral campus; Sewanee hires two new staff members focused on sustainability -hiring a Resident Sustainability Coordinator and Laurie Kianka is hired as the Sustainability Manager in Physical Plant Services (PPS)
2008 - The EcoHouse concept moves to the new Green House on Alabama Avenue. The Green House has programming space, a garden in the backyard and begins work to build Hen Hall to house 12 chickens for eggs and educational purposes.
2009- 2010 - Sewanee hires designer and 2001 alum, Rocco Calandruccio as the Residential Sustainability Coordinator. Through his creative leadership and the work of the Environmental Residents (ERs), they re-focused their program, took on additional environmental responsibilities in the dorms, and initiated several meaningful efforts including; support of the Mountain Goat trail to Monteagle, successful community discussions focused on university sustainability efforts, an electric bike rental program, expansion of the "ER" position to fraternities and sororities, creation of a dedicated sustainability website including student produced videos/photos/text, the growth, and creation of, new environmental leadership positions, as well as the creation of an annual campus-wide dorm energy reduction competition. All of this has become known as: "Sustain Sewanee."
