First Audit

Yesterday's talks and visits about energy saving led us in preparation for today. We got to audit departmental offices around. That was my first time auditing. We got data and challenged the office to save energy and recycle. After we were done, we put our information on a presentable document to send back to the department. Later still, Seth from sustainability came to hear about our findings. It was a good opportunity to present the information out loud and hear how it will impact Western Washington University in the future.

Time has been going by pretty fast so far at WWU! I can't believe the time here is already more than halfway done. Today was a long day but included a lot of stuff. My favorite thing we did was also one of the first things. Two high schoolers from Redmond High School came to teach us about the Cool School Challenge. It was exciting to hear how much of a difference students can make in their communities to save carbon dioxide. There seems to be a lot of work put into it but so much good is coming out of the works of every organization we learned about today.

We also went to Bellingham and got to talk to several people about sustainability. One big sustainability topic for me was energy saving. That is something I am going to try to work harder at conserving.

Last thing we did was go to the local Farmer's Market. The sights and sounds of fresh produce were delightful. Right before we left, also talked to another person telling us about growing a garden in a school!

Wonderous Day Two

Our planet Earth is a wonderful place to be, especially in Washington. I now have a greater sense of how majestic nature truly is. Today our eco exploration class took an all day field trip. We started out at the end of the Nooksack river, near the delta. It was neat to walk across the beach. My favorite part was exploring a fun hideout called Jungle Hut. Later on, we traveled further upstream to the Nooksack Falls, a waterfall where the spawning salmon are forced to stop. One of my most memorable locations was at Mt. Baker. Walking around to the snow was an exciting experience, even though I almost fell several times. Last but not least, we had a time of individual reflection in the forest. My assigned spot was one of the neatest because there was a woodpecker closeby. I could both see and hear it.

This has been another fun yet busy day so far. I have been learning constantly. t has also been great to meet more people and embrace nature. I can't wait to hopefully see my cousin Kenji tonight.

Day One

Today began day one of college at Western Washington University!!

It is amazing how much was learned at the eco exploration course. It is a class thoroughly designed to show students how they can help the environment around them. Suprisingly, the earth is rapidly changing climate daily. Amidst finding out how to individually impact the globe, the students discovered they can intertwine technology with nature to further persuade others to keep the environment friendly. As Katie, the teacher, talked, it got me thinking how different third world countries operate, especially Kenya. Kenya doesn't use as much gas for cars or electricity in homes. It is my goal to better educate family and friends to make the earth last longer.

Along with the super fun teacher Katie, we paid Seth a visit. He is the sustainability coordinator at Western. Although every student was unbearably tired, we plugged on through, trying to pay attention to Seth. It was interesting for me to see how the university is doing their best to be eco-friendly.

So far, this day has been everything I thought college might be like. Fit with cafeteria food, typical dorms, and tired bodies. I can't wait to see what is in store for the rest of the week here at WWU!!