“Developing a culture of gratitude helps us take care of the earth because it reminds us that we already have everything we need in a world where humans amass more and more material objects to make them complete,” Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer told an audience of more than 1,000 students, faculty, staff and community members gathered in the Hunt Union Ballroom on the evening of April 9.
Twenty-five years since its formation, the Cornell-Gladstone-Hanlon-Kaufmann Lecture in Environmental Education and Communication attracted an overwhelming reception to its 2025 speaker, Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of the bestselling nonfiction book “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.”
Established in 2000 with the generous support of Dr. William Kaufmann and his wife Virginia '44, the Cornell-Gladstone-Hanlon-Kaufmann (CGHK) lecture is an endowed fund within the SUNY Oneonta Foundation. The purpose of this lecture is to bring to the SUNY Oneonta campus international leaders in environmental thought and education to interact with students and faculty on campus, and to present a free public lecture open to members of the campus and greater community.
“What does the Earth ask of us? Carry this out into the world and answer in your own way. We can choose the world view that we live in. How can we reciprocate the gifts of the Earth with our gifts? Our job as humans is to seek justice - not just ourselves, but for all creation.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer, author, mother, scientist, professor and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation
The Office of Sustainability hosted a variety of fun and engaging Green Dragon Week activities from April 5 through April 11 to inspire the campus community to celebrate the earth throughout the year.
Activities included a partnership with Alpha Phi Omega to host a community table at the Oneonta Farmer’s Market and distribute $15 vouchers for students to use at the market vendors, followed by a weekend student effort to clean up litter at Neahwa Park.
Other opportunities for education outside the classroom included a staff presentation on lessons from hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, observatory tours at College Camp and evening campfire tales with a Native American storyteller.
To celebrate the re-opening of the Red Dragon Thrift Store in its new Hunt Union location, The Office of Sustainability presented an UpCycle Expo in the International Lounge with opportunities to DIY your own upcycled project.
The week wrapped up with a panel of recent SUNY Oneonta graduates pursuing careers or advanced studies related to sustainability, and an EcoGame Night in the International Lounge that brought together friends and family for pizza and climate-themed board games.
“Sustainability is one of our core values, and we work hard to infuse it into all aspects of campus life, from classes we offer to the food we eat to the facilities we renovate and build,” said Sustainability Coordinator Rachel Kornhauser. “Green Dragon Week is a way to embody all that in a fun, accessible way, with events that are diverse enough to represent the student body and get all kinds of people involved.”