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

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.

  • Wyoming District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    Laramie County School District #1 in Cheyenne, Wy., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Mountain View Elementary School, according to a news release. The facility has an estimated completion date of summer 2028, and it will have the capacity for 650 students in fifth and sixth grade.

  • University of Pennsylvania Releases Design of Future Physical Sciences Building

    The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia, Penn., recently released renderings of an upcoming 350,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Building, according to news release. The facility was designed by CO Architects and will unite the university’s departments of Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Science.