Douglass College senior Trish Farley’s first encounter with environmental activism came in the early 1990s, when she was a fourth-grader living in rural upstate New York and part of a group called SOLVEIT (Save Our Lovable Valuable Earth in Time).
“My parents are both interested in environmental issues and willing to do their part,” said Farley, who has worked as a sustainability researcher in Rutgers’ Purchasing Department in New Brunswick since January 2006. “Their values inspired me to stay interested in this area.”
Farley’s leadership in student environmental groups at Rutgers led to her assignment on the Rutgers University Sustainability Committee, a group of administrators, staff, faculty, and students coordinating activities to reduce the future human and nonhuman ecological footprint of the institution.
From there, University Purchasing Director Kevin Lyons approached Farley about a new position in the department. Farley is now coordinating environmental activities between student groups and the administration; working with vendors to measure and encourage green practices; and helping launch a universitywide EcoFest next semester to raise campus awareness of green issues year-round.
In addition to living in upstate New York, Farley has also lived in Queens and Rockland County, N.Y., so she understands environmental impact in urban, suburban, and rural settings.
Farley first attended Emerson College in Boston, where she began to study creative writing. She participated in an awareness campaign in which students eschewed electricity for one night to demonstrate their support for changing the school’s environmental policy. Farley’s interest in the environment grew, and she also began studying psychology.
“My sister had gone to Cook [College], so I knew that there were a lot of strong student environmental groups here, and I wanted to be a part of them,” Farley said.
She became vice president of Students for Environmental Awareness, editor in chief of the Green Print, Cook College’s official newspaper, and outreach coordinator for the Rutgers University Environmental Council.
Farley’s responsibilities on the council included facilitating communication among staff, students, and faculty. Although her current job involves research in land use, cross-utilization, recycling and other “green” realms, her interest in psychology and experience working as a counselor to homeless people benefit Farley’s efforts.
For example, she believes it is important not to be rude or demanding when trying to persuade Rutgers’ business partners to use biodiesel in all of their vehicles on campus. “The way you approach people about changing practices greatly affects how they react to it,” Farley said. Farley also must explain to vendors that the purchasing department will start evaluating companies based on green business practices.
A sculpture contest planned in coordination with Rutgers’ Recyclemania efforts provided an opportunity for students to dispense tips on how students can live more sustainably. “We received over 300 votes, which were 300 opportunities to encourage people to participate in Recyclemania.” (Recyclemania will announce the winner of the contest Monday, April 16; Rutgers was in second place as of this publication. The contest closed April 7.)
Farley will graduate in May with a degree in psychology and environmental policy, institutions, and behaviors. But she is still working to help bring EcoFest to fruition. Similar to Christmas in April, EcoFest will resemble Earth Day in August. As envisioned by planners, the event would feature an organic food fair, legislative guest speakers, photo and film contests, with activities spread over every Rutgers campus.
Farley hopes the timing will attract the attention of both new and returning students to campus, as well as the community at large. “If you catch people in the beginning of the year and show them this is something Rutgers is going to be focusing on all year,” Farley said, “then we can increase awareness and their ability to take action on these things.”
