Sustainability
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Sweet Pea Club: Teaching Multi-Generational Stewardship for the Environment
The Sweet Pea Club is a weekly event run by the State Botanical Garden of Georgia’s education department that teaches young children about the importance of environmental stewardship. The club meets on Thursdays at 10 a.m. in the Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden, with each week focusing on a…
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Laid with Love: Hippie Hens Homestead Works Toward Ethical Sustainability
As more people look for ways to live sustainably, small farms like Hippie Hens Homestead are leading by example. Raising chickens for fresh eggs not only cuts down on waste costs but also promotes self-reliance and ethical animal care. For Lacy Martin, sustainability goes far beyond efficiency. It’s about respect…
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Students Spread Sustainability through EcoReps
With more than 6,200 first-year students enrolled in 2025, the University of Georgia’s growing freshman class presents both excitement and sustainability challenges. The Eco-reps program is using that growth as an opportunity to educate students on environmentally friendly habits. Sadie Eubanks, a second-year EcoRep, joined the program her freshman year…
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Keeping Guitars in Play: Sustainability at Classic City Vintage Guitars
In the heart of Athens, Classic City Vintage Guitars is giving new life to instruments that might otherwise be forgotten. Owner and luthier Dylan Keel believes in repairing guitars rather than discarding them, allowing them to live on for generations. “I think it’s worth preserving, because each one of these…
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Sourcing Food Locally: How Local Restaurants Get From Farm to Table
Peter Dale, owner of Five & Ten and Maepole in Athens, has built his menus around one idea: sourcing food close to home. Sustainable sourcing is a manner of obtaining ingredients in ways that support the environment and local communities. According to an article from the Global Seed Initiative, this…
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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:…