WILLIAMSBURG — William & Mary announced it will launch the Year of the Environment during the Charter Day ceremony on Feb. 7, celebrating its estuarine campus and renewing its commitment to healthy ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
The yearlong observance will advance sustainability efforts on campus and expand William & Mary’s impact around the world, the university said.
Charter Day marks the founding of William & Mary in 1693 by British royal charter.
This year’s event starts at 4 p.m. in Kaplan Arena. Derek Aday, director of VIMS and chair of the Year of the Environment committee, will offer remarks, former W&M Rector Todd Stottlemyer, Acentra Health CEO and board member, will receive an honorary degree, and the ceremony will open with a special announcement, the university said.
“William & Mary’s Royal Charter looks forward,” reflected President Katherine Rowe. “It imagines-into-being a place of universal learning, for ‘all times coming.’ In that same spirit, we look to the horizon now. Throughout our Year of the Environment, we will be taking a 100-year view of the environmental changes shaping our estuarine region and others like it around the world. We aim to make William & Mary the destination for future scientists, policy makers and industry leaders who seek resilient solutions.”
Investing in resilience
William & Mary said it has made long-term commitments to sustainability in its Vision 2026 strategic plan and Climate Action Roadmap.
Multiple initiatives are underway: from academics to operations, from energy use to stewardship of its beautiful campus.
Academic highlights:
- In 2019, a $19.3 million gift established the Institute for Integrative Conservation. The IIC prepares future leaders to drive policy and inspire action at local, national and international levels.
- In 2022, William & Mary’s Water initiative doubled down on our scientific prowess in coastal ecosystems, aquaculture and conservation.
- Last year, the university announced a $100 million gift from philanthropist Jane Batten HON ’17, L.H.D. ’19 to position W&M’s Batten School & VIMS as the premier destination for solution-oriented science protecting the world’s oceans, coasts and waterways.
Campus highlights:
- In 2018, William & Mary partnered with the University of Virginia and Dominion Energy to accelerate renewable energy sourcing.
- By 2026, William & Mary’s Campus Comprehensive Plan will outline other long-term investments in energy efficiency.
- Campus renovations include 531 geothermal wells, reducing energy costs up to 60% for the buildings they serve.
- 35 campus buildings — more than 1 million square feet — are LEED-certified.
These milestones build on two decades of sustainability work led by students, faculty, staff and administrators, according to William & Mary.
In 2008, the Board of Visitors adopted a student proposal for a Green Fee. Those funds continue to speed innovation across campus, it added.
The Year of the Environment will expand the reach and impact of this work, Aday said.
“We invite everyone in the William & Mary community to join us in 12 months of meaningful initiatives and events that honor our responsibility to future generations,” he said.
Read the complete article at W&M News.
