Climate Literacy

In an era marked by rapid globalization and evolving challenges, Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims at constructing resilient infrastructure, fostering sustainable industrialization, and nurturing innovation, this goal embodies the essence of inclusive and sustainable development. Economic growth, social progress, and environmental sustainability are all linked to investments in infrastructure, industrial development, […]

Daniel Lemos  Since the fall of 2022, I’ve been immersed in the world of food waste reduction as a Food Waste Coordinator at the dining halls of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, working closely with the Leanpath system. Our primary mission has been to tackle food waste head-on by instilling a culture of accountability among

What is Earth Day?  The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, celebrating the achievements of the environmental movement and raising awareness for conservation efforts. Today, over a billion people celebrate Earth Day around the world. Many Earth-focused events are happening all week around campus, check them out here.   What’s happening on Campus? 

What is Causing Bee Losses?  In the winter alone, beekeepers usually lose up to 20% of their colony. Although that may sound alarming, some beekeepers–like UMass Dining’s local partner, Red Barn Honey–say that “if you’re not losing bees, you’re not keeping bees.” That is, bee populations will naturally fluctuate over time. Besides overwinter deaths, bee

  What is Pollination?   Pollen is a powder-like substance that many plants produce for reproduction. You may already be familiar with pollen if you are part of the 25.7% of adults who experience seasonal pollen allergies–especially during the spring. Pollination is the process by which pollinators, such as honeybees, butterflies, bats, and birds, deposit pollen

As environmentalists, it is safe to say that the global environment is currently changing. From warmer temperatures to overfishing, our decisions have an impact on the world. This defines the core basis of planetary health.   Planetary Health is the health of human civilization and the state of the natural systems on which it depends. Planetary

The UMass Student Farming Enterprise has recently finished building an off-grid greenhouse at the Agricultural Learning Center in Amherst, MA. The National Science Foundation grant funded the project with the objective of educating students about renewable energy in agricultural settings. Throughout the past four years, interns and students have been involved with the development of

Last week, we had two important visitors to our UMass Campus. The first was Commissioner John Lebeaux of the Department of Agricultural Resources. The second was Andy Kendall of the Kendall Foundation. We informed our guests of the vast improvements we have made to our dining halls in the past fiscal year, more specifically in local

We are proud to announce that we have recently begun sourcing from three new, local family businesses. These farms comprise a step in our efforts to provide more locally grown food and meet our commitment to purchase 20% real food by 2020.  ATLAS FARM – SOUTH DEERFIELD, MA  Atlas Farm is an 85-acre diversified, organic

Last week, the UMass Earth Day Festival brought together a diverse range of student groups including the UMass Food Recovery Network, New2U Reuse Tag Sale, the Student Farming Enterprise and the UMass Green Building Council for a day of activities, education, and fun! This year was the 46th annual Earth Day Festival at UMass. It