“Landscapes of great wonder and beauty lie under our feet and all around us. They are discovered in tunnels in the ground, the heart of flowers, the hollows of trees, fresh-water ponds, seaweed jungles between tides, and even drops of water. Life in these hidden worlds is more startling in reality than anything we can imagine. How could this earth of ours, which is only a speck in the heavens, have so much variety of life, so many curious and exciting creatures?” |
The UBCO Environment and Sustainability Society (ESS) is a group of students, staff and faculty dedicated to environment and sustainability projects, programs and initiatives on our campus. It was founded by Jenna Koren Gall, an UBCO alumni Class of 2014, in her first year, 2010. Her passion about sustainability and the environment has always been an inspiration to many of our club members and the community. Our topic includes not only sustainable living, renewable energy and energy conservation, but also waste management, climate change, water use, biodiversity, urban development, social justice and human rights, and of course, transportation.
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MEET OUR EXECUTIVES 2014/15
Chair: Sarah Bird
"Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Bird and I am the ESS President for the 2014/15 year. We've got an awesome exec team and I'm really excited to get to work with all of them this year. I'm a 3rd year Zoology student potentially minoring in EESC. I love going on adventures and last summer got to spend 3 months in Ecuador as a research assistant studying social spiders. West Carleton, Ontario is my hometown but BC has captured me and I can't wait to explore this beautiful province some more. I'm always open to hearing your ideas, opinions, concerns, or just getting together to chat! If you have any questions feel free to send me an e-mail ([email protected] - club email; [email protected] - personal e-mail) I hope to see all of you around!"
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Public Outreach Coordinators: Paula Meehan & June Shiengchin "Hello! My name is Paula Meehan and I am the public outreach coordinator. My job is to reach out to the campus and inform you all of the amazing activities and fundraisers that ESS promotes. I am an Environmental and Earth Science major in my second year. While I did spend high school in Calgary, I lived in Romania and Albania, two developing countries in Eastern Europe, until I was 14, and their influence of culture and diversity have left a huge impression on me. Last summer I was a junior assistant geologist, and with that job came my new found love for working outside (trust me, I am bushwacked right now!). I am super excited for this year, and you’ll be hearing from me and my partner, June, weekly in our newsletter! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at the club email ([email protected]) or my personal e-mail ([email protected])." -Paula "Hi guys :) It’s June. I’m a second year Arts student from Thailand studying Geography and hoping to go into Environmental Design (woohoo for architecture and sustainability!). I love volunteering, getting myself involved, reading, and most importantly, exploring and travelling around! My first year here was awesome and couldn’t have been better without ESS and its events. I’m here in the position of the Public Outreach Coordinator with Paula and I’m super excited for it! I’m sure it will be another awesome year. Looking forward to seeing and getting to know all of you!" -June |
Karma Bowl Coordinator: Linh Le
"Namaste Friends - my name is Linh Le and I am an executive with you UBCSUO Environment and Sustainability Society. A second year Fine Arts students, I came to UBC Okanagan from the "exotic" Canadian land of Moncton, New Brunswick. I first got involved with the Environment and sustainability society September of my first year as the financial executive, and am now the Karma Bowl Coordinator for UBCO's local food kitchen project. I'm passionate about creativity and inspiration, believing that the strength for change - be it for the good of our environment, or simply a sense of peace within ourselves - can be found in liberal conversation and collaboration. What I love most about the Okanagan is the push towards purchasing local organic produce in support of our farmers here in the valley." |
Social Relations Coordinator: Jennie Congdon
"Hey my name is Jennie Congdon. I'm a second year Earth and Environmental Science Major taking my minor in Political Science. I'm the ESS Social Relations Coordinator and I'm responsible for getting to know everyone in the club! (I love my job :)) ESS does great things on campus that improve the quality of the university, making it more responsible as well as educating students and faculty about the issues of sustainability and environmentalism. I have two dogs, a boxer and chihuahua/terrier and we love to get out as much as we can. I live in Winfield so there is plenty of hiking and kayaking in the area, plus snow-shoeing when the snow falls. If you want to hang out sometime, maybe get some puppy love, give me a shout and we can connect!" |
First Year Executive Member: Austin Cronkite
"Hailing from Toronto, Austin Cronkite grew up a city boy where the best times of the year was camping season and getting away from it all. After taking a gap year off from high school and asking for his purpose, he know publicly states it on his LinkedIn profile: "I am currently a first year student at UBCO after a gap year spent learning about the world and myself. I witnessed the human spirit at work in my travels, and am continually presenting myself to new experiences. I live as a fractal part of the paradigm shift required to develop the relationship between humanity and the place we call home - Earth." He is your first year Exec Member of the ESS. Any environmental projects, altruistic inspirations, or any desire for spiritual co-exploration, send him an email at [email protected]." |
General Executive Member: Brittney Fedoruk
"My name is Brittney Fedoruk, I am a general executive member, and a third year psychology and english major. I like to bake and knit in my spare time, as well as work up a sweat in the gym! I like being a part of ESS because it brings together like-minded individuals who care about the environment, as a group that can collaborate with their respective interests and strengths to try to better our learning environment in terms of ecological sustainability. " |