University of Montana
EN-3: Student Life

The Environmental Law Group: (ELG) was founded for the purpose of raising environmental consciousness within the legal community. One of our major focuses is to provide hands-on experience within the field of Environmental Law. To facilitate this goal, the group works to secure legal research projects with local environmental organizations, it matches student members with practicing environmental attorney mentors, and organizes a range of speakers who discuss current environmental topics. As a group, the ELG hosts an annual silent auction benefit for a different environmental non-profit each year, as well as sponsors trips to legal conferences, plans recreational outings, and participates in hands-on restoration activities.

Climate Response Club: Community of active students at the University of Montana dedicated to pursuing a sustainable future for UM, the Missoula community, and the world at large. We are the only climate-focused recognized ASUM student group on campus and are dedicated to reducing UM's carbon footprint while prioritizing climate justice. We recognize the BIPOC community is more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and we cannot succeed in our efforts without justice for the communities and identities that have been oppressed. We are committed to our values of transparency, community, solidarity, and love for the planet and future generations. We want to tackle the challenge of climate change to protect the future of UM and the world.

Society for Ecological Restoration: Our purpose is to promote ecological restoration as a means of sustaining the diversity of life on earth and re-establish an ecologically healthy relationship between nature and culture.

Fire Ecology and Management: To connect students, faculty and community members with a network of fire peers, managers and ecologists and provide career training and experience for students. Club activities include active participation in fuels reduction, prescribed burning and fire management related activities. Education about fire ecology is accomplished through yearly visits to the Missoula Fire Laboratory, Neptune Aviation, historically important wildland fire locations and many other field opportunities.

American Fisheries Society: UM AFS is a student subunit of the nationally-recognized, professional society, American Fisheries Society. As a club we bring in speakers from fisheries professionals bi-weekly to talk to students about their work and/or research, which also provides networking opportunities. Our goal as a club is to provide an avenue for students to learn more about current fisheries research and work, as well as allow student to network with potential future employers.

Forestry Club: UM Forestry Club is comprised of students from any major. We focus on getting students summer jobs by bringing in active employers as well as getting hands-on, boots-on-the-ground forestry and natural resource experience.

Society of American Foresters, Student Chapter: Our group’s history is tied in with the University of Montana’s own W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation as the practice of forestry in America developed in this region; many prominent foresters have come from both UM as well as the SAF. We send student members to the Montana state and national SAF conventions; partner with other student-led organizations on campus; and fundraise throughout the year.

Forum for Living with Appropriate Technology: The UM FLAT is an intentional living-learning community dedicated to everyday sustainability. Student residents gain experience in shared leadership, learn practical skills, and build a supportive, dynamic community. The FLAT also provides a welcoming gathering space and actively engages the University of Montana and Missoula through demonstration and education programs. 

International Forestry Student Society: Our mission is to provide a platform for students of forest sciences to enrich their formal education, promote cultural understanding by encouraging collaboration with international partner organizations and facilitating students in gaining practical experiences with a wider and more global perspective. Through its network, IFSA encourages student meetings, enables participation in scientific debates, and supports the involvement of youth in decision making processes and international forest and environmental policy. UMONTANA IFSA MISSION: Provide those within, or connected to, the community of the University of Montana with the opportunity to engage in major forest conservation challenges, with a specific focus in promoting the inclusion and participation of stakeholders in conservation research, practice, and policy.

Wildlife Society: The University of Montana Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society promotes responsible stewardship of wildlife and helps wildlife students navigate their professional world. 

Backcountry Hunters and Anglers - University of Montana Chapter: Our club focuses on providing hunting and fishing opportunities for students, promoting fair chase ethics, engaging in natural resources policy, and connecting students to other hunters and anglers. 

Geoclub: UMT Geo Club is meant to allow students an opportunity to take part in an engaging and inclusive community environment and provide outside-the-classroom experiences in any and all things relating to earth systems, earth sciences, and the environment. 

Montana Trails, Recreation, and Parks Association Student Chapter: Our goal is to connect students with professionals in the field and create opportunities for professional development. Our mission is to serve our members and support their efforts to enhance Montana’s quality of life by promoting growth, preservation, and development of recreation services, tourism, and parks to benefit the health and well-being of our people, our community, and the planet.

ASUM student group list: https://grizhub.umt.edu/organizations

UM Dining's gardens and associated closed loop campus food system serve as living laboratories where students, faculty, staff, and guests can learn about growing food through various methods, passive solar greenhouse design and management, sustainable waste management, composting, and water catchment.

Campus Dining operates almost a half-acre of garden space using sustainable practices to create healthy soil and beautiful vegetables. The garden provides thousands of pounds of produce each year and serves as a learning laboratory for students and visitors. We use a diversity of techniques to grow more than 90 varieties of fruits and vegetables that are used at our operations across campus – everything from apricots to zucchini!

Animals are a critical part of any healthy agricultural system. UM Campus Dining has three French white muscovy ducks which provide pest control, fertilizer, delicious eggs, and merriment to all who meet them.  We have a thriving apiary of honeybees who pollinate and share their honey with us. The Campus Dining Garden also invites wild animals to be a part of our ecosystem through native flowers, bat houses, soil building, and mason bee houses.

Year-round, microgreens flourish under fluorescent grow lights adjacent to the Food Zoo dining room in the Lommasson Center. Campus Dining grows hundreds of pounds of these nutritious little greens every year!  You will find them regularly on our salad bars. Try them heaped on a sandwich or as a flavorful garnish for soup.

https://www.umt.edu/dining/sustainability/default.php

The ASUM Office of Transportation is a student-funded, organized, and run business that provides alternative modes of transportation for students and the campus community. The Office of Transportation provides a free bus service, rental bikes, bike repair, student education, and incentives for alternative transportation.

www.udash.org

The Kless Sustainability Fund is a pool of money generated from the student sustainability fee (just increased in spring 2024 to $9/students/semester). A committee of students, faculty, and staff (mostly students) manage the fund and students develop and propose projects that save energy, lower operating costs, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. The majority of funded projects must have quantifiable savings and an ROI of 10 years or less.

www.umt.edu/kless-fund

Welcome Feast: The University of Montana and UM Dining's Farm to College program host the “Fall Feastival” that brings students, faculty and staff together on the University Oval to enjoy a delicious shared meal of Montana grown and produced food.

Earth Week: Every year in April, the ASUM Sustainability Center and the Office of Sustainability join together to facilitate a variety of workshops, community service opportunities, and educational outreach all focused around Earth Day. This week (and month) of events include an Earth Week Sustainability fair, where students are connected with community and campus partners supporting sustainability, conservation, and/or climate-action. Other events this past year included an eco-flow resource fair where we gave out free menstrual cups/discs, bike tune-up events, Clark Fork river and neighborhood cleanups, and more

Campus Sustainability Month: Many events hosted including a clothing swap, Green Sports Day @ Griz Hockey, Rollin' & Strollin' week focusing on sustainable commutes, and more.

On Earth Day in 2022, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble with the UM School of Music performed "Project Earth." A truly unique event, Project Earth fuses science, music, philosophy and local activism into one impactful experience. Inspired by UM’s mission to engage with our community and to explore intersections between disciplines, UM faculty and students present an evening of poignant conversations interspersed with large-scale multimedia musical performances. Project Earth seeks not only to evoke thoughts, but to inspire action in addressing today’s climate change crisis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISUrMfr4Uz0

Freshman Wilderness Experience
The Freshman Wilderness Experience is a program designed to give incoming freshman a genuine wilderness experience before their first week of college. Experienced students lead groups of 5-10 freshman on backpacking, canoeing, mountain biking, or kayaking trips. These trips often expose out-of-state students to the beautiful and extensive public lands that we enjoy in Montana as well as help freshman develop a strong sense of community before classes begin. https://www.umt.edu/freshman-wilderness-experience/

Climate Change Studies in the Field: 
The Climate Change Studies program provides two different outdoor field courses that students in and outside of the minor can join. The two courses provided are located in Vietnam or Montana with each focusing on a specific aspect of climate change as it is related to the location of the study abroad experience. https://www.cfc.umt.edu/ccs/hands-on-learning/field-courses.php

Campus Recreation's Outdoor Program runs coordinates and leads rafting, kayaking, climbing, backpacking, and skiing outings open to all students, faculty, and staff. All of their student leaders are Wilderness EMT certified and LNT certified. https://www.umt.edu/crec/Outdoor/default.php

In 2023, UM's annual Griz Read was the book "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The purpose of the Griz Read is to provide new students with a common connection through a thought-provoking book. Each year, a committee of faculty, staff, and students select a book from nominations submitted by the campus community.

All members of the campus community, especially first-year students, are encouraged to read the book and participate in Griz Read events. All first-year students in the Davidson Honors College are required to read this book as part of their "Intro to Honors" course.

"Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer is a profound blend of indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants. The book explores the interconnectedness of all living things and emphasizes the importance of reciprocal relationships between humans and the natural world. Kimmerer, a botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, weaves personal narratives with ecological reflections, advocating for a shift from a culture of consumption to one of sustainability and respect for nature. Through stories of plant cultivation and indigenous practices, "Braiding Sweetgrass" underscores the need to honor and learn from the Earth, promoting sustainable living and environmental stewardship.

https://www.umt.edu/provost/events/grizread/

Curry Health Center Wellbeing is dedicated to fostering a campus environment that promotes a culture of holistic health, comprehensive student wellbeing, and academic success. We leverage data-driven, integrative strategies to empower students in enhancing their physical, mental, emotional, social, occupational, environmental, financial, and intellectual wellbeing. Our initiatives focus on helping students achieve deeper insight, renewed vitality, meaningful connections, clear purpose, and balanced lifestyles through a blend of innovative programming and services, robust campus partnerships, and student-centered approaches. 

Wellbeing encompasses more than just individual health; it is a holistic process that integrates all aspects of wellness into our lives. These dimensions include: 

·         Physical: Maintaining a healthy body through exercise, nutrition, sleep, and regular medical care. 

·         Social: Building supportive, healthy relationships and contributing to the community. 

·         Emotional: Managing stress, coping with challenges, and expressing emotions in a healthy way. 

·         Spiritual: Finding purpose, values, and meaning in life. 

·         Environmental: Respecting and protecting our surroundings and living spaces. 

·         Intellectual: Engaging in lifelong learning and stimulating mental activities. 

·         Occupational: Finding fulfillment and balance in our professional and academic endeavors. 

·         Financial: Managing resources to achieve financial stability and reduce stress. 

https://www.umt.edu/curry-health-center/wellness/default.php

The ASUM Sustainability Center hires an intern who works 5-10 hours a week. This student does outreach through tabling and class presentations about sustainability opportunities with the goal of increasing student awareness of sustainability resources and opportunities. Additionally, this position assists with event coordination for the annual Earth Day celebrations among other campus events. 

The Recycling Program hires several student positions. Two or three students are employed as Recycling Technicians to assist in collecting and properly sorting all recycling from around campus. The Recycling Program also hires a student Recycling Outreach Coordinator who supports and leads educational and outreach activities that increase the diversion of recyclable materials on the UM campus.
https://www.umt.edu/sustainability/campus-initiatives/waste/recycling2.php

The Office of Sustainability offers small paid internships to multiple students on campus, focusing on special topics based on the needs of the office. Some project examples include STARS data/reporting, earning UM a Bee Campus USA label, and more.

The Sustainable Business Strategies Certificate is a collection of 15 academic credits that require students engage with sustainable business strategies, research B Corp companies, and gain hands-on experience with for-profit sustainability assessment tools. This certificate is open for students from any department. In addition to taking four business oriented classes, students are required to complete one sustainability related internship.
https://www.umt.edu/business/programs/default.php