The annual Bayer Sustainability Camp program kicked off last weekend, giving 15 students from around the globe (including one Pittsburgher) a chance to learn more about the environment and the role they can play in improving it.
When students applied to attend this year's Sustainability Camp, they were asked to write essays about what subjects like sustainability and climate change mean to them, says Rebecca Lucore, executive director of the
Bayer USA Foundation, which runs the camp. The goal was to get a sense of how the students approached these issues and also help the students form a vision for what they could gain from the camp.
During their two weeks at Sustainability Camp, the students are working with soil and water samples (see the photo, above, from last year's camp) and will explore Pittsburgh's rivers by canoe and with
RiverQuest. And just as they did
last year, they will also spend time working alongside scientists at the Bayer campus.
One highlight of this year's program is a visit to Bayer's
New "eco-commercial" building. "They'll get to tour the building," Lucore says, "and see a zero-energy building in practice."
Just a few days into the camp, one interesting topic has already emerged: Students from Germany were surprised to find that environmental issues, which have been a focus in Europe for decades, have only captured public attention in the U.S more recently. The German students have challenged their American peers on the issue, asking why it's taken Americans longer than Europeans to make the environment a clear priority.
The experiences of these two weeks, including these kinds of challenging conversations, will hopefully send the entire group of students back to their hometowns inspired to continue learning about the environment and discussing it with others.
Writer: Melissa Rayworth
Source: Rebecca Lucore,
Bayer USA FoundationImage courtesy of Bayer USA Foundation