Oregon Public Broadcasting

Willamette University in Salem has won high marks for its efforts in sustainability. The National Wildlife Federation called the school exemplary in a recent survey.

The study evaluated eighteen factors of sustainability, and Willamette University ranked high in eleven of them. That was the best result of all Oregon schools that took part in the study.

Nathan Sivers-Boyce is the Chair of the Sustainability Council at Willamette University. He credits the students.

Nathan Sivers-Boyce: “It was really, I think, in large parts the students who said to president Pelton ‘hey, this is something that we really ought to be paying attention to and something that matters to us. That we want to know about, that we want to be acting to promote.’ And he took that very seriously.”

Sivers-Boyce says the school has green standards for all new buildings and tries to motivate students and staff to ride bikes or use public transportation. The school is also working on replacing all campus cars than run on gas with hybrid or electric vehicles.