top of page

Spring of Sustainability at West Valley: Students’ Seeds of Climate Action Have Begun to Sprout

  • Miranda Kawamoto
  • May 5
  • 2 min read

Imagine a campus where pine and redbud trees line sunlit paths dotted with wildflowers, adjacent solar powered buildings and the occasional squirrel guide students to class amidst the birdsong of eastern bluebirds. At West Valley College, this is not a vision, but a reality thanks to the commitment of staff and students on campus. Beyond the natural beauty that their efforts have cultured, the college also digs deep, actively searching for ways to educate and empower its students, community, and planet on a variety of sustainability initiatives.


According to the 2024 United Nations emissions gap report, the world is on track to warm over 3.1°C by the end of the century if people do not step up to reduce emissions (UNEP). The Earth is heating at a record breaking rate, driven by our collective lack of thought in how we live and shape our society. As each day passes, our climate is irrevocably altered, creating a future of severe climate and economic instability. Yet, despite the reality we are facing, West Valley is fighting back. We have the ability to shape tomorrow, and by taking action, our college community is investing in a more positive, sustainable future.


Earth Day Celebration 


On April 23, West Valley students celebrated Earth Day with a celebration of resilience and creativity. Student organizations including ASWVC, the Biology Club, Lab Rats, the Owls Club, and the Persian Club worked together to host a memorable educational event in the campus walkway that engaged over 100 attendees.


The Persian Club hosted an interactive paint station. Students unleashed their inner creativity on canvas, choosing from an array of paints in all shades under the sun. Filling a canvas with banana slugs, seahorses, and ladybugs, they expressed why conservation matters to them.


Meanwhile, the Owls Club offered hands-on Citizen Science stations, complete with field guides, binoculars, and magnifying lenses. Participants identified native plants and fauna on campus and learned about invasive species encroaching on the area like ice plants, robust purple flowers, and aggressive black mustard. The highlight was learning to spot local birds like bluebirds, chickadees, and woodpeckers. A telescope was set up to observe an acorn woodpecker, pecking away with her exquisite black-striped markings.


A Season of Sustainability and Creative Action


In addition to Earth Day, this spring, the Sustainability Consumerism Summit and Denim Day was held on campus. Democracy Institute hosted the Sustainability Consumerism Summit, (March 17-20) featured a speaker panel, climate carnival, and clothing swap. April is also Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Denim Day (April 29) support sexual assault survivors through campus wide solidarity to support survivors and female empowerment by way of blue jeans. 


As West Valley sows the seeds of change, its students are proving that the future isn’t determined — it’s created.


References

bottom of page