EDUCATION

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The ecological ethic that appears to be a trademark for Vermont has found its way into the ivory towers of Middlebury College, a liberal arts college in Middlebury that’s making significant strides toward greening the campus.

Nan Jenks-Jay, director of environmental affairs at the college, attributes the outpouring of interdisciplinary environmental initiatives, such as leasing electric vehicles for fleet use and scaling down on the quantity of chemicals used in science labs, to a combination of factors. “Maybe more than anything,” she suggests, “it is long-term commitment in addition to support from the college administration.”

Long-term commitment will be necessary to ensure that the next ten years of new construction on campus, which will include several dormitories, dining halls, a library, and other facilities, adhere to the principles and specifications developed by the Project Review Committee. This committee sets standards so that each building embodies the institution’s philosophy of environmental excellence.

A visitor need look no further than the tallest structure on campus to find evidence of those principles in action. Certified sustainably harvested wood panels the new science center, Bicentennial Hall. The purchase of this wood, which cost 2 to 3 percent more than standard timber, helped jumpstart a local business. Middlebury College was the first customer of Vermont Family Forests, a group of small woodlot owners who banded together for Smart Wood ­certification. The next building slated to rise, a residence hall, will also contain certified wood. In addition, the college just put hundreds of acres of its own forest under green certification.