Sustainability
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Klassy Kats: Working Toward Solutions That Are Cat, Community Centered
Citizens of Butts County are no strangers to seeing animals dropped off on the side of the road or strays living on backroads. Butts is a rural county that is constantly dealing with overpopulation of animals. Over halfway through 2025, 497 cats had been taken in solely by Butts County…
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From Soil to System: How Marigold Collective is Redefining Local Food Access
Each Saturday, Winterville’s Pittard Park becomes a living, breathing testament of community resilience and sustainability. Local vendors line the walkways, tables overflowing with bright leafy greens and fresh homemade bread, while live music and the scent of roasted coffee set the mood. Responding to Community Need Athens-Clarke County qualifies as…
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How Autumn Olive is Being Removed from Heritage Park to Help Native Species
At Heritage Park in Oconee County, an invasive plant species called the “autumn olive” is continuing to grow and cause harm to native plants found in the park. Cindy Pritchard, executive director of the Keep Oconee County Beautiful Commission, is holding bi-monthly removal days, through February 2026, to help keep…
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Swap Shop Strives for Visibility as Students Go Against Fast Fashion
For fourth-year University of Georgia student Kennedy Fulton, thrifting used to be about saving money. Now, it’s about something bigger. “I first started thrifting back in middle school for affordability reasons, but now it is more about sustainability,” Fulton said. “Most clothes today are cheaply made in sweatshops, and I…
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Groundwork: Stories of Sustainability in Northeast Georgia
A team of 20 student journalists created a news special responding to the needs of Northeast Georgia counties. Reporters traveled to five counties, spoke with residents, uncovered environmental gaps, and highlighted the solutions communities are building. Watch to see what they discovered and the solutions taking root. This is Groundwork:…
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Northeast Georgia Food Bank Competes to Give Back
In Northeast Georgia, friendly competition is fueling a big impact. Food insecurity remains a pressing issue not only in Athens but across Northeast Georgia. Thousands of residents are impacted everyday and face challenges of getting food on the table. Every October, the Northeast Georgia Food Bank hosts their annual Hunger…
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Going Green: Impact of Being Sustainable in College
While some practice sustainability subconsciously as part of daily life, others directly devote their time to getting involved. This is particularly common among college-age students, and at the University of Georgia, the campus and surrounding community offer a multitude of ways to get involved with the cause. College campuses that…
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Wings of Change: Oconee River Land Trust Supports Biodiversity on Middle Oconee River
At first glance, the Middle Oconee River winding through Athens might be dismissed as just a murky stretch of water. However, it is a habitat that supports a critical ecosystem, one containing opportunities for discovery and study. The Oconee River Land Trust (ORLT), a nonprofit organization aiming to conserve land…
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Art and Sustainability: How One Local Artist Repurposes Materials to Master Her Craft
As climate change reshapes daily life in Athens, local artist Chloe Yune is pushing back against environmental degradation through creative sustainability. At just 23, the Indiana native and UGA graduate is making waves with her eco-conscious approach to art. Using discarded clay scraps and repurposed household “junk,” Yune crafts intricate…
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How One Man’s Hobby is Helping Reduce Waste in Athens
It was the combination of frequent trips to resale shops mixed with his tennis burnout that led Athens resident David Ragsdale to his new hobby: cast iron restoration — the process of searching for, stripping down and seasoning decades-old cookware to give it a new life. “My lady likes Pyrex,…