As a signatory of the American College and University President's Climate Commitment, Southern Miss has been working toward achieving climate neutrality. Some of the biggest efforts toward sustainability in Southern Miss comes from the Office of Sustainability and the Golden Eagles Conservation Society.
The mission of the University of Southern Mississippi Office of Sustainability is to reduce campus waste by promoting a culture of environmental responsibility. They do so through education, outreach, and engagement initiatives. They aim for faculty, staff, and students on the Hattiesburg campus to actively participate in recycling and sustainable practices that support a cleaner, greener future.
The Office of Sustainability has been focusing on climate commitment. Since 2008, the Office of Sustainability has operated a single-stream recycling program, a system in which all recyclables are placed in a single bin, and then sorted at a material recovery facility. The Office of Sustainability also works to ensure that each classroom has a recycling bin, which is retrieved by the recycling staff.
The Golden Eagles Conservation Society is an undergraduate-run student organization. It has been helping with sustainability initiates through many clean-up campaigns. The society has been focusing on reducing waste and has been cleaning up different natural places in Hattiesburg. They have also been putting glass waste containers at different places around campus for recycling. The Office of Sustainability helps support the Golden Eagles Conservation Society.
“The Office of Sustainability has historically been of great assistance to the conservation society,” said Noah Williamson, the President of the Golden Eagles Conservation Society. “They help us out whenever we need more grabbers or gloves and have been an integral part of our work.”
Williamson also shared that the Golden Eagles Conservation Society and the Office of Sustainability collaborated to promote recycling. The groups put glass recycling containers around different parts of the campus to let people passively help recycle. The groups also focused on recycling during important school events like tailgates.
Williamson mentioned that one of the ways students can help support sustainability is by doing their part in recycling.
“We had multiple recycling bins outside during tailgates for glass waste but since trash cans were closer, most people chose to discard their glass bottles instead of recycling them,” Williamson shared. “A big part of recycling is just taking the responsibility.”
The Golden Eagles Conservation Society hosts multiple clean-ups each semester where students can volunteer. The group organizes carpooling for students who want to volunteer but do not have a reliable means of transport.