University of North Carolina, Wilmington
EN-3: Student Life

• 350 UNCW encourages support and action to lower carbon emissions to be under 350 parts per million in the atmosphere. There is a critical need to lower carbon emissions on both a global and local scale. 350 UNCW will work with its local affiliate 350 Wilmington to harmonize this goal throughout the Wilmington community. There are also opportunities to work with 350.org to promote global initiatives and awareness. Some goals we are focusing on are to help the community switch over to renewable energy, educate the public on climate change, and help businesses adopt green initiatives.


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  Beekeepers is a club dedicated to the proper management of and education about honey bees on UNCW campus and within the surrounding community. We are directly affiliated with the New Hanover County Beekeeping Association.The purpose and objectives of this organization are to inform/teach UNCW students, staff, and faculty about the practices of beekeeping, both as a hobby and for commercial endeavors, as well as engage students with the practices of scientific beekeeping and foster an environment conducive to scientific research with pollinating species and agricultural practices.

  
  


• Ducks Unlimited is a chartered chapter of national ducks unlimited and serves to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitats for North America's waterfowl. These habitats also benefit other wildlife and people. This club helps individual members of the UNCW community and surrounding areas to participate in this conservation


• UNCW Gardening Club works to transform the UNCW Garden into a beautiful and productive destination on campus. Starting this semester we will be diving into the the world of natural and organic farming; focusing on the biology and soil health of the garden.


• Growth International Volunteer Excurions is focused on creating global citizens on the UNCW campus. Our goal is to empower marginalized people, support sustainable development, create a greener world, and allow members to open their eyes to new perspectives. We like to spread good vibes, volunteer, and find new adventures to enjoy with good company!


• Habitat for Humanity works to build/rehabilitate homes with Habitat affiliates and other related organizations in Wilmington, educate the UNCW community as well as the local community about affordable housing issues, and raise funds to use for our purpose and objectives


• UNCW Plastic Ocean Project works to change the way our campus and community think about plastic. The solution to the plastic pollution epidemic starts in our homes, communities, schools, workplaces, and in our day-to-day lifestyles. We address this problem through education, outreach initiatives, student-led research, and plastic removal from our coastal environment (and elsewhere) through clean-ups.


• Seahawk Audubon focuses on avian awareness and appreciation as a mechanism for conservation on a larger scale. We hold meetings and workshops to hone birding skills (any levels welcome!), host guest speakers, organize field trips and campus events, and encourage local involvement and volunteering. We seek to tailor our activities to benefit the needs of our members in order to help them whilst helping our local area.


• The Surfrider Foundation is a powerful activist network that fights for clean water and healthy beaches. The purpose and objectives of this organization are to protect and enjoy the world’s ocean, waves, and beaches, for all people.


• Seahawk Wildlife Society allows students to gain field experience, network with wildlife professionals, learn about contemporary wildlife conservation research, and have the opportunity to attend local, state, and national workshops and conferences. Meetings and events for this club will allow UNCW students to learn skills, gain knowledge, and develop as a wildlife professional, thereby better preparing themselves for careers in the wildlife field and creating a better future for wildlife and their habitats.

UNCW’s sustainable community garden has served as a firsthand educational resource to students while providing produce to the local Food Bank. The garden is planted each year by a the UNCW Gardening Club and is managed over the summer by an inter ship program. (student-governed). "The University of North Carolina at Wilmington has unveiled a 250-gallon aquaponics tank in Wagoner Dining Hall that will act as a learning experience for students and provide fresh food to the dining halls.The aquaponics tank is a joint project between UNCW's departments of sociology and criminology, marine biology and biology, and environmental studies. It combines aquaculture and hydroponic technology, allowing plants and fish to coexist." - WECT (not student-governed) This tank remains in Wagoner Hall for students to enjoy and learn from. The Aquaculture Program at UNCW was established to address these constraints and to utilize UNCW’s strategic location in coastal North Carolina and its Center for Marine Science to teach environmental responsibility in conjunction with mariculture technology development. The goals are to develop and transfer to commercial users cost-effective, environmentally sound technologies for marine food production and to mitigate depletion of marine populations through commercial cultivation or stock enhancement.(student-governed)This program continues today and produces research that is trying to discover better ways to conduct aquaculture to lessen the demands on our oceans and its aquatic life.

The Green Initiative Fund is a student fee with a board of four people, including one student, that supports sustainable initiatives, research, and projects. Students can apply for mini-grants to fund research and projects. The fee also bridges the financial gap between projects that are economically and environmentally efficient. (not student-governed)

The Friday Seminar Series is sponsored by the Department of Environmental Studies and the Environmental Studies Graduate Student Association each semester. The seminar series educates students about research and conservation work of local professors, students and environmental organizations. (student-governed) The UNCW Office of Sustainability hosts film series and subsequent discussions that focus on sustainability. Every year, UNCW offers an annual sustainability week which offers programs, educational presentations, and events to promote a sustainable lifestyle.

In the spring of 2024, the UNCW Musical Theater Club presented a sustainability-focused musical production called Ride the Cyclone that utilized talents from a myriad of groups in order to emphasize the importance of authenticity, individuality, and longevity of the natural world. A musical production of this caliber with the powerful messages of unity and the impact of time on the natural world can be used as a powerful social tool to not only educate, but personally resonate with the audiences it immerses in order to elicit significant paradigm shifts toward sustainability.

Seahawk Adventures is a part of Campus Recreation where students take local and day trips as well as week long trips to areas where they can swim, canoe, climb, paddle board, etc. The Seahawk Adventures team leaders are all trained in Leave No Trace principles and encourage participants to abide by these principles.

UNI 101 is a class that every freshmen is required to complete. In years past, sustainability-themed books have been chosen for the common reading. Every year a sustainability &/or service-focused class has been offered.

The Sustainability Garden, Aquaponics Demonstration, and Herb Garden all involve students in growing vegetation for the university and/or to be donated. The Sustainability Peer Educator program also focuses heaily on educating the campus community on sustainable living. One such program includes learning to grow edible sprouts which are high in nutritional value and financially accessible.

The Sustainability Peer Educator program hires 10 students per academic year. Students work eight hrs/week on projects and programs that increase sustainability awareness, support university sustainability initiatives and achieve goals outlined in the UNCW Sustainability Action Plan. The Office of Sustainability also employs Work Study students to operate and manage the university free store, Seahawk Swap Shop. Through this role, students are introduced to the idea of a circular economy and explore ways to educate the campus community about fast fashion.

The UNCW Sustainability Pledge is marketed to students, faculty, and staff. The pledge calls signers to take environmental, social, and economic into consideration in every aspect of their life at the university and beyond. It specifically calls on students to use their time at the university to learn these ideals in order to take them with them beyond graduation. The UNCW Sustainability Pledge was designed to raise awareness about sustainability issues and encourage the consideration and modification of daily decisions to benefit the environmental, social, and economic well-being of future generations. By signing this pledge, all students, faculty, and staff can collectively commit their support to these values.