Environmental Stewardship Committee Report
For 2015 the Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) has a bold agenda. Following up on the December 2014 Committee
Report and our new direction under the AORE Strategic Pillar of “Advocacy” we are poised and preparing for an outstanding year.
This Report will use a list of tasks from 2014 commenting on their current status, as well as address new tasks for 2015.
1) Push for comprehensive recycling/composting at the annual Conference, abiding by the mantra "reuse, reduce, and refuse."
The ESC worked closely with Event Garde, the conference event planning team, and the conference site hotel, to push for “green,
green, green” practices at the 2014 conference. Much of our efforts were readily visible to conference attendees. While the ESC
intends to pass this task along to the AORE Conference Development Committee, we are currently in the process of developing a
“Green Practices” Manual to aid prospective and selected site hosts (e.g., Atlanta team) in helping them seek out and identify
potential conference venues already engaged in such practices. As well, we anticipate the Manual serving as a tool to help the
Conference Development Committee, during the conference, emphasize and actively promote the green practices the conference
venue is engaged in. This Manual will serve as one of our 2015 Internal Advocacy goals.
2) Complete nationwide assessment of college/university outdoor programs (OP) to better understand what they are doing to
address environmental stewardship and sustainability. Generate report of results and "how to's" to aid OP's in
implementing various practices.
The study was presented at the 2014 Annual Conference both as part of the General Education sessions and during the Research
Symposium. A technical report is in the making for the National Office to disseminate either at the 2015 conference or soon
thereafter. The production of the report will serve in meeting one of our 2015 Internal Advocacy goals.
3) Create a link on AORE's homepage that identifies groups/organizations throughout the country (local, state, regional, or
national) that engage in cleanups (e.g., river sweeps), trail building, adopt-a-trail/crag, etc. so that OP's around the country
will be better able to add service components to their trip offerings, particularly when leaving their communities.
This task remained a work in progress for 2014 and was not identified as an Internal Advocacy goal for 2015 by the ESC. It will
however remain a part of our archives for future consideration.
4) Have vendors at the annual Conference be more transparent and overt in sharing their respective stewardship and
sustainability practices. Develop a template for interested vendors to review and provide opportunity for sharing their
efforts.
This task was completed via the development and administration of an electronic survey sent out to AORE vendors leading up to
the 2014 Annual Conference. Further administration of the survey has been shelved for 2015 although the task will remain in the
archives for future ESC consideration.
5) Incorporate annual conference host site area resources into pre/during/post conference sessions whether a person comes to
speak/keynote and/or leads field trips that address natural resources in the surrounding host site area (e.g., a river walk to
learn about its ecology and restoration efforts).
While a service event offering was established for the 2014 conference, the ESC was not able to provide the onsite leadership to
carry it out. It has although remained an ESC Internal Advocacy goal for 2015 with a special budget request seeking dedicated
funds to help carry it out as part of the annual conference. The ESC will work with the Conference Development Committee in
helping shape this task for the Atlanta conference.
6) Promote and seek more environmental stewardship and sustainability proposals to be part of the General Education annual
conference session offerings. Topics related to energy use, transportation, food, purchasing, recycling/composting, models
of success, best practices, etc. are encouraged.
This is one task that the ESC hopes to shore up and make a better effort at for 2015 utilizing the AORE Listserv while also working
with the Presenter Relations Committee to better promote as calls for conference submissions go out.
7) Develop a social media presence linked to AORE whereby environmental news, tidbits, info from member programs (OP's)
surrounding sustainability/stewardship best practices and success stories are regularly shared.
One item was posted via the AORE Listserv in 2014 linked to OP’s engagement in sustainable practices. The use of media beyond
the Listserv needs further clarification. This goal will remain and serve both as an Internal and External Advocacy Goal for the ESC in
2015.
8) Leading up to the annual conference more fully develop room and ride share program.
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