ENF’s Environmental Commitment Focus on Energy Solutions

Cara Varney, Development Director

It’s not news that Eagle’s Nest Camp and The Outdoor Academy have made an environmental commitment. This is an ideal that has shaped our programs since the beginning and continues to flow through everything we do from lessons in science class, to running through the woods on a hot summer day, to the strategic work being done by the ENF Board of Trustees.

Each semester, OA students read portions of Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass. Kimmerer, who is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, is a professor, biologist, poet, and the founder of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, which is located in Syracuse, NY. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer teaches us that, “Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.” This excerpt feels particularly “Nesty” to me. It’s the way we teach about the earth and hope our campers and students take this love of nature/environment/earth with them in their life paths. It’s how the Foundation approaches the ways in which we “use” our land and in making choices that are both financially and environmentally responsible. I wonder, how do you celebrate the earth?

Over the years, Eagle’s Nest has put resources and time into much more than celebrating the earth; we are trying to protect, heal, learn from, teach with, and become a part of the global solution to fight the warming of our planet. Here are some steps ENF has taken as part of our environmental commitment.

2016 With Conserving Carolina and the Clean Water Management Trust Fund (NC Land and Water Fund), over 76% of ENF’s land was placed in a conservation easement, protecting our wild classroom forever.

2017 We launched a Green Cleaning Initiative that has reduced our use of phosphates, harmful chemicals, and single use plastics. *Cleaning has been an evolving process with the onset of COVID-19 disinfecting protocols, and we hope to return to all green products soon!

2018

We revised our Kitchen Manual to include more environmentally sustainable practices, including sourcing of products, staff structure, and further incorporating the Garden to Table programming into meals.

2021

We began researching and evaluating energy efficiency at ENF. A dedicated group of alumni (aptly called the “Energy Work Group”) have been helping to guide the process of creating a sustainable and actionable plan.

2022

A solar study was completed and all lighting fixtures on campus were upgraded to energy efficient LED bulbs, a project that was funded by a partnership with our utility company. We also completed a solid waste audit and preliminary energy audit with the help of Waste Reduction Partners, who help organizations improve environmental and energy management through efficiency techniques that save money.

Reading List for Climate Action and Celebrating the Earth:

All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis

Edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine Wilkinson (OA Alum Sem8)

The More Extravagant Feast

Leah Green (OA Alum Sem8) Winner of the Walt Whitman Award of the Academy of American Poets

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants

Robin Wall Kimmerer

Belonging: a culture of place bell hooks

The Cartographer Tries to Map a Way to Zion

Kei Miller

Organizations ENF has partnered with:

C onserving Carolina

NC Land and Water Fund

Waste Reduction Partners

Lime Energy

Rhino Renewables

Charlie’s Soap

Avery special thanks to the volunteers of our Energy Work Group for providing their time and knowledge to help guide us on the path towards a greener campus: Ana Sophia Mifsud (OA Sem32), Maddy Pearce (OA Sem34, Camp), Jeremy Akin (OA Sem37), Will Abberger (Camp, Trustee), David Gilbert (Trustee), and Laura Kraus Lovenshimer (Former OA Faculty). If you are in the energy, climate, or sustainability sector and would like to join this group or have questions, comments, or resources to share, PLEASE reach out to Cara Varney, Development Director at cara@enf.org.

Alumni Spotlight: Jeremy Akin

OA Semester 37

Q: Where did you go after High School?

A: I attended Haverford College where I majored in Economics with an Environmental Studies minor. As part of my Environmental Studies curriculum, I spent a semester abroad in Freiburg, Germany where I learned a great deal about the energy transition. During my senior year, I authored a thesis on the political economics of utility-scale battery storage.

Q: What are you doing now and how are you involved in the global climate community?

A: I am a developer in the renewable energy industry working on utility-scale projects, primarily in upstate New York. I work for a company called ConnectGen that develops, builds, and operates utility-scale renewable energy and energy storage projects across the United States. The development-stage projects that I work on, in aggregate, have the potential to power over 100,000 homes.

Q: What is your favorite memory, or the most influential thing you recall from your time at 43 Hart Road?

A: Susan Tinsley Daily’s environmental seminar course unquestionably inspired my life’s work. As a participant in her seminar, I honed my passion for pragmatic climate change mitigation which ultimately catalyzed my career in renewable energy. To this day, I look back on my four months at OA as a truly formative moment. I would not be where or who I am today without OA and ENF.

Alumni Spotlight: Maddy Pearce

OA Semester 34, Camper, Eagle’s Nest Counselor

Q: Where did you go after High School?

A: After high school, I attended the University of South Carolina where I formally studied electrical engineering (emphasis on renewable energy technology) with leadership distinction in civic and professional engagement. Outside of class, I was an active member of Sustainable Carolina, where I helped organize professional green networking events. This eventually led me to secure an internship with a construction management company where I focused on supporting the newly built Law school at USC to achieve LEED Gold certification.

Q: What are you doing now and how are you involved in the global climate community?

A: I am a Climate Change Consultant at Environmental Resource Management (ERM) where I help companies identify their climate impacts, such as GHG emissions, risks, and opportunities, and support them in creating a climate strategy to decarbonize their businesses.

Prior to working at ERM, I worked at ICF Inc as a Climate Change Researcher, working with government agencies, small companies, and local and state governments, in support of their climate projects and strategy programs.

Q: What is your favorite memory, or the most influential thing you recall from your time at 43 Hart Road?

A: That’s a hard one because there are so many! I would say one of the most influential aspects has been the community. From the start, each time I step foot on campus, I’ve met so many magical and caring people who have contributed greatly to the person I am today.