sustainability
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Athens-Clarke County
AI-Audio Equipment Extends Impact of Athens Urban Wildlife Project Across County
The Athens Urban Wildlife Project is a relatively small project here in Athens that’s part of a much larger organization. It works to keep track of local wildlife behaviors, in response to urbanization as a part of the Urban Wildlife Information Network. Locally, the project strives to involve citizen volunteers…
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In-Depth
Growing Solutions: Documentary on Addressing Environmental Issues Through Communities
Five Counties. Five environmental problems. Five solutions. Growing Solutions is a documentary produced by student journalists at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. It highlights how people in Athens-Clarke, Madison, Oconee, Barrow and Jackson counties are addressing environmental issues through community-led solutions. The documentary was created by students…
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Athens-Clarke County
From California to Georgia: Importance of Proactive Wildfire Management
The devastation serves as a reality check,” says Jacqueline Gewert, a 21-year-old psychology and biology student at the University of Georgia from Calabasas, California. She is talking about the ravaging California wildfires she witnessed from a distance this past January. Gewert was already back in Athens on Jan. 7, 2025…
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Environment
Frost, Floods and Droughts: Georgia Farmers Grapple with Climate Extremes
The chirping of crickets and katydids echoed through the dense fields of vegetables, flowers and fruits at Diamond Hill Farm, patiently waiting for harvest. Carolyn Shew, communications manager at the farm, marched through the rows of produce, pointing out crops along the way. “We have blueberries here… they don’t produce…
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Environment
Community Store: Reducing Textile Waste with Fashionable Pieces
Clothing and textile waste are one of the most significant sources of pollution worldwide, nationally and in Northeast Georgia. While it might be hard to imagine, there is an estimated total of 92 million tonnes of textile waste generated globally each year. In Georgia alone, textiles make up the seventh-largest…
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In-Depth
Student-Led Sustainability Organizations Create Network of Solutions
Students in Georgia are looking for ways to save the environment as their state’s CO2 emission reduction efforts head in the wrong direction. Dana Theoc, a former University of Georgia Office of Sustainability intern, has chosen to get involved and currently works for the Swap Shop, a free thrift…
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Athens-Clarke County
Athens Plans To Install Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
The Athens-Clarke County government unanimously approved Project FAST Charge on Oct. 1. Pitched by the sustainability department, this project promises the installation of EV chargers at 14 sites throughout Clarke County, with 12 of these sites being in federally recognized disadvantaged communities. The department is waiting to hear back if…
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Education
How Grow Wild Educational Resources is Transforming the Classroom for Teachers, Students
Tiny hands shot in the air when Nicole McGiboney asks a simple question. “Who here has a garden at home?” she asks, expectantly. An overwhelming majority of first-graders at West Jackson Elementary School are excitedly explaining what they grow in their gardens at home. One student has two rose bushes…
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Environment
Athens Farmers Market Engages Community in Sustainability
Every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at Bishop Park and from 5-8 p.m. Wednesdays at Creature Comforts, vendors prepare their tents with local produce, organic honey, artisanal soap and handcrafted jewelry to sell to the oncoming crowds of local Athenians. Established in 2008, the Athens Farmers Market has operated…
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Solutions Journalism
From Waste to Growth: UGA Student Composting Efforts Grow on Campus
If you’ve ever spotted bright orange bikes whizzing around the University of Georgia’s campus, you may have wondered what they’re up to. These bikes belong to the UGA Campus Compost Program and are driven by student interns working with the Office of Sustainability. Their mission? Collecting compostable waste from across…