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. Recreation: Get Outside Already!One of the best things you can do to boost the green movement is to helpget people connected to the outdoors.People protect what they love, and youcan t love the planet unless you experience it firsthand.Plus, getting outside isa nice break from all that hard work indoors.Getting outside is a major focus of sustainability education.WithAmericans now spending an average of 90 percent of their time indoors, theneed to expose students to the outdoors has never been greater.Getting folksoutdoors is easy if you form a club at your campus devoted to a particularoutdoor activity: surfing, hiking, biking, walking, boot camp, even kite flyingif you want.It doesn t matter what you do as long as you turn people on tonature in the process.People are more likely to protect the places they love, so get them outsideand show them around! Even if you begin by taking a hike with a group offriends, you are involving them in nature, and you will find that they willlikely begin to care more about environmental issues.Once you have an event planned, advertise it to your friends throughword of mouth, email, Facebook, or any other method you can think of.Afteryou get more people on board, perhaps after a few events, form an official cluband talk to your teacher about how to be registered or recognized on yourcampus.An article in your campus paper, an address on the morningannouncements, catchy flyers, and a little local press can also boost yourefforts to raise funds, attract volunteers, and organize larger projects.For geardiscounts and training from experts, see whether your club can get sponsoredby a local outdoor organization or sporting goods store.FOODMore than thirty million youth one-tenth of our country spopulation eat at least one meal a day on campus.With almost 20 percent ofglobal carbon emissions originating in one way or another from the foodsystem, greening our campus food chain is a critical part of beingenvironmentally responsible.To focus your group s efforts on the food systemat your campus, there are a variety of strategies, like ensuring healthy, organicoptions in the cafeteria, planting a campus garden, composting, and kicking thebottled water habit.Eat Real Food What you eat directly affects your health and your ability to learn eachday, and where and how it was produced, shipped, packaged, prepared, andconsumed contributes directly to your campus s ecological footprint.It isimportant to have sustainable food and drink options on your campus.Hai Voradically transformed his unhealthy eating habits when he went away tocollege, by shopping for and preparing fresh fruits and vegetables from thelocal farmers market.When he saw what a difference it made in his health andpersonal life, he decided to bring those benefits to his entire university campus.SUCCESS STORYTHE REAL FOOD CHALLENGEHai Vo, a student at the University of California at Irvine (UCI), mobilizedhundreds of students on his own campus and took on a leadership rolenationally to mend a broken food system.After discovering that $4 billion wasspent annually on food at universities, he cofounded the Real Food Challengeat UCI to convince his university to invest in real food food that isecologically sound, community-based, and fair to farmers andfarmworkers supporting the health of students, producers, local communities,and the environment.Hai co-organized events that engaged more than fivehundred campus and community members in leadership development, dinners,an educational series, and online networks, all centered on sustainable foodsystems.With a fellow student, Hai researched the percentage of real foodpurchased in their college dining halls, and provided concreterecommendations and policies for their dining services.UCI used theserecommendations to help determine a plan for doubling their real foodpurchases within the decade. Working with the Real Food Challenge on campus GAVE ME THEOPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOWARD SOCIAL CHANGE in acollaborative, visionary environment. - HAI VOHai started locally on his own campus and later served on a statewidecommittee that helped the University of California develop a system-wide,institutional commitment to 20-percent real food procurement by the year 2020.His work served as a model for the Real Food Challenge(www.realfoodchallenge.org) network nationally, working to bring 20 percentreal food to hundreds of campuses across the nation by 2020.You can join thiseffort, which consists of more than three thousand students and allies at morethan three hundred campuses.Hai was an advocate for supporting local family farmers.But if you loveto get your hands into the dirt, you can start a garden that feeds products rightback into your own campus.Plant a Campus GardenStarting a garden on your campus is easier than you may think
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