Green Mountain College and Audubon International Announce New Sustainability Partnership

POULTNEY, VT – Green Mountain College (GMC) and Audubon International — two organizations at the forefront of advancing sustainability — have announced a partnership to promote environmental stewardship and make sustainability education programs available to all. Staff at Audubon Internationals' vast network of environmentally responsible facilities will receive discounts to enroll in GMC’s cutting edge, online graduate curriculum in one of four sustainability disciplines. Graduate students at Green Mountain College can apply their place-based education by exploring and implementing Audubon International's programs alongside professional staff.

Based in Troy, NY, Audubon International is incorporated as the Audubon Society of New York State. Through education, technical assistance, certification and recognition, Audubon International facilitates the implementation of environmental management practices that ensure natural resources are sustainably used and conserved. To date, Audubon International has enrolled over 3,000 properties (including golf courses, cemeteries, ski areas, housing developments, hotels, and many others) and communities in its rigorous certification programs.

“Green Mountain College's program is a model for sustainability training, and a natural academic partner for Audubon International and our member facilities,” says Doug Bechtel, executive director of Audubon International. “Continuing Audubon International's legacy of introducing science-based ecological principles to stewards of developed lands, partnering with GMC expands educational offerings available to the staff at Audubon International's member organizations. We hope to further develop research opportunities with Green Mountain College faculty and students to advance sustainability science and practices using our real-world examples.”

“Green Mountain and Audubon International make great partners. Our students get to work hand in hand on sustainability projects with Audubon staff and partners, and people affiliated with Audubon can access award winning and affordable sustainability education right at home,” notes Thomas Mauhs-Pugh, provost at Green Mountain College.

Green Mountain College has been a leader in sustainability-focused education for 20 years. In 2006, GMC launched the nation's first sustainable M.B.A. and first online M.S. in environmental studies. Since then the College has introduced an M.S. in sustainable food systems and an M.S. in resilient and sustainable communities, the first online programs of their kind in the U.S.

Featured

  • Quattrocchi Kwok Architects Opens New Office in Denver

    Education planning and design firm Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) recently announced that it has opened a new office in Denver, Colo., the firm’s third overall. QKA is headquartered in Santa Rosa, Calif., and runs an East Bay Area office in Oakland.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.