Greener Athletics

Sustainability in athletics began at Middlebury with a 2005 student classroom project.Three Middlebury Lacrosse players brought to their coach the idea of becoming the country’s first carbon-neutral Lacrosse team.The team pooled money and off-set the environmental costs of travel, supplies, even then-coach Erin Quinn’s office heat. This set off a chain reaction of events that included reductions in waste, transportation, as well as better practices in purchasing and events. Middlebury is proud to support a sustainability program in the athletic department. Middlebury athletics has an administrative position dedicated to athletic sustainability and an athlete-held position on each team for work in sustainability for every sport.From a team vehicle that runs on dining hall waste to reusable cups for the hockey team, ideas on how to reduce impact are spreading.

8/25/10 - Click here to read a feature story in Seven Days.

11/19/09 - Click here for a recent articile in The Campus regarding the athletic department's latest efforts.

Ashley Bairos is the sustainability liaison for women's hockey.  Each Middlebury team has a sustainability liaison, like an environmental captain, responsible to looking at the reductions and sustainable improvements that might be made to a program.

(L-R) – Cincinnati Bengal Dhani Jones, greenlaces.org founder Natalie Spilger and S.I. senior writer Alexander Wolff paneled an on-campus discussion on Greening Athletics in 2009.