April 24, 2014

Sustainability in Practice

Lewis & Clark is a leader in environmental efforts in the classroom and beyond.

At Lewis & Clark, our approach to sustainability is grounded in our mission to cultivate global thinkers and leaders. Our research and actions extend beyond our campus into the wider world—we build on the best available scholarship and practice in our endeavors, and we recognize the importance and interrelatedness of ecology, economy, and equity.

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  • Lewis & Clark is ranked the greenest school in the nation.

    We source food locally. About a quarter of what we serve on campus is grown within 100 miles of Lewis & Clark.

  • Lewis & Clark is ranked the greenest school in the nation.

    Two student gardens provide opportunities to engage in alternative farming and gardening practices.

  • Lewis & Clark is ranked the greenest school in the nation.

    Lewis & Clark requires all new campus buildings to be constructed in accordance with LEED Gold standards.

  • Lewis & Clark is ranked the greenest school in the nation.

    One hundred percent of the electricity we use is generated by “green power” sources.

  • Lewis & Clark is ranked the greenest school in the nation.

    Our diverse overseas and off-campus programs offer students opportunities to see the complex ways ecology, economy, and equity interact in locations around the globe.

  • Lewis & Clark is ranked the greenest school in the nation.

    We co-hosted a national sustainability conference in October 2014.

  • Lewis & Clark is ranked the greenest school in the nation.

    Lewis & Clark has achieved Sustainability at Work’s gold certification and is recognized for its leadership in helping to make Portland one of the cleanest, most sustainable cities in the country.

  • Lewis & Clark is ranked the greenest school in the nation.

    Our Environmental Law Program is ranked #1 in the country by U.S. News and World Report.

  • Lewis & Clark is ranked the greenest school in the nation.

    We won first place in the Northwest Conference in the EPA’s 2013-14 College and University Green Power Challenge.

  • Lewis & Clark is ranked the greenest school in the nation.

    In September 2013, we became the first private college to achieve Salmon-Safe certification.

This spring, four undergraduate students and three law students took part in our sustainability internship course, gaining valuable experience and knowledge by working firsthand in the public and nonprofit sector. Alix Finnegan ’14, an environmental studies major from Denver, Colorado, shares why she decided to spend four months working for nearby Washington County creating a series of events around Earth Day.

“Sustainability is such a buzzword in modern environmentalism; I couldn’t help but be intrigued. A lot of people are currently trying to figure out what it means, what it looks like in different fields, and how to implement it, and I want to be a part of that. With sustainability, there’s always another project, a better method, or more to do.”

Sustainability at Lewis & Clark Environmental Studies Program