Eco Fest highlights sustainability efforts on campus

Under a clear blue sky, staff and volunteers celebrated Eco Fest by sharing Furman University’s sustainability practices with students on Thursday outside of the James B. Duke Library.

Student Eco Reps greeted people passing by, while Shi Institute staff shared information with others about the bicycle rental program on campus. Custodial manager and sustainability advocate Jim Benes, known as “Mr. Jim” on campus, warmly welcomed students to Eco Fest while handing out stickers bearing his face and the words “Sustainability is super duper.” Under a nearby tent volunteers handed out free snacks and drinks.

Students paint reusable tote bags with FUSAB during Eco Fest.

“It brings a different energy, and I think it catches folks we may not normally see,” said Laura Bain, associate director of sustainability assessment.

The Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities originally planned a Sustainability Week packed with events that were derailed by Hurricane Helene. Those efforts were channeled into Eco Fest.

Ellie Howard ’25 is the Alternative Transportation Fellow and oversees the Furman University Paladins on Bikes program. She was out during Eco Fest promoting the university’s new rentable bikes – a grant from the Student Government Association allowed FUPOB to buy 17 new bikes to replace aging campus bikes. For $80 a semester or $150 for the academic year, students can rent a bike along with a helmet and bike lock.

“We want to reduce driving to classes on campus and promote biking,” Howard said. “Furman is a very bike-friendly campus, and we’re connected to Greenville and Travelers Rest through the Swamp Rabbit Trail.”

Students have options closer to home for practicing conservation and sustainability. The Shi Institute has about 30 student Eco Reps, who live in residence halls alongside their peers and help educate other students about how they can live more sustainably on campus.

Students celebrate seeing Mr. Jim (and the stickers he’s giving out) during Eco Fest.

“Students might ask, ‘How can I recycle or compost on campus? How can I eat more sustainably?’ Your Eco Reps can answer that,” said Joy Baker, associate director of sustainability programs.

That kind of engagement is key, Bain said. Seeing that other students, faculty and staff care about the environment helps inspire people to take action. Furman recently ranked third out of 355 colleges for campus engagement, according to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

“We’re getting students who care more and are engaged more with sustainability topics, and we have to be able to provide that for them,” she said.