The Jenzabar Foundation also spoke with Oliver deSilva, President of The Web of Life Student Environmental Organization at the University of Dubuque. Oliver’s organization, another one of The Jenzabar Foundation’s Student Leadership Award winners, has been making great strides to promote environmentally friendly living on campus and beyond.
Read on to learn more about the focus, activities and future ideas of this student group, as well as to gather some environmental and sustainable living advice!
The Jenzabar Foundation: Could you give us a little bit of background on the University of Dubuque’s Web of Life Student Environmental Organization and your role within in?
The Web of Life is a student organization at the University of Dubuque that focuses on environmental education and awareness, not only on our campus, but also in the community.
My role as President of the Web of Life is to organize meetings, facilitate volunteers, filter the many requests for events we get and mainly be the head contact for the group. This is my first year as president, though I have been with the group for all of my years at the University of Dubuque.
TJF: Since Web of Life seems to be a leader in raising environmental awareness within the Dubuque community, I am curious as to what types of activities, programs and volunteer opportunities it offers?
We participate in activities such as highway cleanups, cleanups at the local arboretum and tree-plantings, as well as work with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources on the Osprey reintroduction. Educationally, we focus on after-school programs and event days, such as Science Day with our local elementary schools and middle schools. We also try to have several fun events each semester, such as camping, fishing, or hiking trips.
TJF: If you could offer one piece of environmental education to the community at large, what would it be?
Sustainability, sustainability, sustainability. Who knows, without it, there may not be anything left for our children or for their children.
TJF: Finally, how does the Web of Life Organization plan to use the $5,000 Jenzabar Foundation Student Leadership Award?
The Web of Life plans to use the award money to further our educational programs. For example, we are putting together an “EnvironmentBee” by inviting local elementary schools to Dubuque’s campus to compete in an environmentally themed day of learning and fun. With luck it hopefully will become an annual event!
