At Bethel College, we are dedicated to caring for the Earth and all its creatures. Our commitment to environmental stewardship is a core part of our mission to educate and our responsibility to protect the planet for future generations. You can read the full environmental mission statement on Bethel’s website.
Bethel College’s Environmental Initiatives
Bethel College is actively making a difference with various eco-friendly actions and policies:
- Recycling Program: We have a robust recycling program on campus to reduce waste.
- Student Environmental Action Club: This club provides discounted energy-saving light bulbs to students, installs water and energy conservation stickers in residence halls, and organizes Earth Day events.
- Natural Areas: Bethel maintains large natural areas, including the Sand Creek Trail system and two native prairies—the Sand Prairie Natural History Preserve and the Broadie Prairie Preserve.
- Prairie Conservation Projects: The Kauffman Museum and Kingsbury Prairie Restoration projects focus on preserving and restoring prairie ecosystems.
- Energy Management System: Twelve of the 15 main campus buildings use a sophisticated system to control energy use, incorporating time scheduling, night setbacks, modulating valves, motor speed controls, and lighting management. We continually work to enhance these systems.
- Eco-Friendly Groundskeeping: Our groundskeeping practices minimize the use of synthetic chemicals, utilize low-maintenance plants, and apply non-toxic calcium chloride salt on icy sidewalks.
- Water Conservation Efforts: Water usage has been significantly reduced in residence halls with the installation of low-volume flush toilets and water-saving shower heads.
- Energy-Efficient Lighting: We are upgrading all lighting fixtures to newer technology that reduces electricity consumption by over 40% while providing more light. In some cases, this allows us to disconnect some fixtures, resulting in additional energy savings.
- Trayless Dining: Implemented in the fall of 2009, our trayless dining initiative conserves water and energy.
Bethel College is committed to making a positive impact on the environment and leading by example in environmental stewardship.
Bethel College is committed to making a positive impact on the environment and leading by example in environmental stewardship.