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Lees-McRae Organic Garden Club Kick Starts Campus-Wide Green Initiative

 

BANNER ELK, N.C. —With help from a $3,000 grant, the Lees-McRae Outdoor Recreation Management program, in conjunction with the organic garden club, has begun a brand new, three-part, campus-wide green initiative.

The $3,000 BB&T Leadership Initiative grant, with the sole purpose of bringing leadership opportunities to campuses nation-wide, will give the organic garden club the financial ability to implement a recycling plan for both residence halls and academic buildings, a compost program and a weekly litter pickup schedule.

The club has also designed shirts, water bottles and stickers to help spread word of the new initiative.

Students, faculty and staff celebrated the start of the green initiative during an event on Nov. 15 in the Lees-McRae Community Garden.

Past attempts to develop a campus-wide recycling initiative always seemed to fizzle out, said organic garden club project leader, Ivanna Knox. “But this year, with the help of the BB&T grant and students on campus, we were really able to go for it full force.”

“This truly is a student-led initiative, put together by passionate and dedicated students,” Katie Wall, assistant professor of Outdoor Recreation Management said. “Seeing their passion for making Lees-McRae College a healthier, greener campus has been inspiring.”

Lees-McRae proudly displays the motto, In Montibus, Ex Montibus, Pro Montibus, which translates to, in the mountains, of the mountains, for the mountains. The College’s history is deeply rooted in the Appalachian Mountains, and as inhabitants, it is crucial to ensure the mountains remain as pristine and untouched as possible.

Students Nina Salisbury, Ivanna Knox, and Leigh Ann Wilson contributed this article.

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Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Lees-McRae College is a private, four-year college offering diverse baccalaureate degrees, strong athletic programs and outstanding faculty. Field-specific career preparation and hands-on learning enhance the broad core curriculum. For more information, please visit www.lmc.edu or call 828.898.5241.