CES helps students from several organizations plan activities and events for the College community. Educational workshops, experiential field trips, community outreach, and outdoor recreation allow students to become involved in a range of activities from environmental advocacy to gardening.
Williams Environmental Council
Williams Environmental Council (WEC) focuses on environmental activism and awareness in the Williams community, from promoting reductions in energy and resource use on campus to hosting social and educational events focused on sustainability. We meet every Tuesday at 9:00 PM in Kellogg House – come to eat snacks, share ideas, or meet other people who love the environment! Check us out on Facebook and on the Greenephs student group website.
Email Andrew ’18 at [email protected] or Charlie ’18 at [email protected] for more information or to join the listserv.
Divest Williams
Divest Williams is a student group working to divest the Williams College endowment from the top 200 fossil fuel companies with the most oil, coal, and gas in their reserves. As part of the Williams Endowment Initiative, we work closely with committed alumni and faculty to urge the College to divest from the most destructive industry on the planet and invest in a sustainable endowment and future. We believe our endowment should reflect the College’s core values of civic leadership, integrity, and service to society at large. Learn more at www.williamsendowment.org, and follow us on our Facebook page.
Purple Bike Coalition
The Purple Bike Coalition is Williams College’s free bike service organization, run and staffed by students. One of our major initiatives has been designing and implementing the Purple Bike Rentals (PBR) program, along with all the organizational and infrastructural improvements required to build and manage a fleet of rental bikes. As always, we offer free bike repair services to students, faculty and staff during the school year. PBC’s work is made possible by the Center for Environmental Studies, The Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives, College Council and Campus Safety and Security.
Email Matt ’17 at [email protected] for more information or to join the listserv.
Williams Sustainable Growers
The Williams Sustainable Growers (WSG) promote awareness of and access to sustainable food and agriculture. The group plans and manages three organic gardens on campus: Kellogg Garden at the Environmental Center, Parsons Garden on Dodd Circle, and Presidential Garden in the yard of the President’s house. Anyone is welcome to attend weekly work parties during the growing season from approximately March through December. In addition to maintaining the gardens, WSG works collaboratively with Dining Services, the Sustainable Food and Agriculture Program, and other campus groups to promote sustainable food and agriculture through education and advocacy. Please visit us on Facebook and on our blog!
Email [email protected] for more information or to join the listserv.
Real Food Williams
Real Food Williams focuses on the promotion of “real food,” which defined by the Real Food Challenge is “food which truly nourishes producers, consumers, communities and the earth…that fundamentally respects human dignity and health, animal welfare, social justice and environmental sustainability” based on the four pillars of “real food,” “local/community-based, fair, ecologically sound, and humane.”
Real Food Williams works directly with campus administrators and Dining Services to make these foods more available to students through Williams’ dining halls and also seeks to engage and educate students directly through campus activities and outreach. These include a biannual farm-bike tour where students ride bikes and eat samples from local farms, monthly real food dinners where students can come help cook and share in a community meal with locally sourced ingredients, movie screenings, on-campus speakers, and partnerships like the Williams Farm Committee to look into the possibility of a campus farm. The group believes in promoting sustainability through eating locally and building community by supporting local farmers.
Email Jordan ’16 at [email protected] for more information or to join the listserv.
Williams Outing Club
The Williams Outing Club (WOC), through the efforts of its volunteer student leadership and a faculty advisor, stimulates participation in and appreciation for outdoor activities. In so doing, the WOC furthers an ideal of college education, develops personal initiative and leadership, promotes skills in outdoor recreation, educates itself and the college community about environmental conservation, seeks new opportunities for outreach, and encourages the meeting of people with common interests. These principles guide the club in ensuring the availability of outdoor recreation, the inspiration and stewardship of the outdoors, and the continuing enthusiasm for these activities for the present and future college community.
Megamenu Social