Boyer Sudduth is premiering the Sustainability Champion Spotlight series, which will feature various individuals whose tireless commitment to sustainability often goes unrecognized. To kick things off, Senior Intern, Kaitlin Reese, recently caught up with Springside Chestnut Hill Academy’s Upper School science teacher, Ellen Kruger. Here’s what we learned from Ellen:
Why are you committed to sustainability?
Ellen Kruger: “To paraphrase Bill Nye, Planet Earth will be fine! It will recover after humans are gone. I just want to help the humans and other living things co-exist for as long as possible! I also want to strengthen my commitment to fighting against environmental racism. The environmental burdens that BIPOC communities have been burdened with throughout the history of the US is truly appalling.”
What is a memorable project you worked on at your school relating to sustainability?
Ellen: “I worked on a waste awareness project that I have fond memories of. Seeing a bunch of students and teachers weighing the cafeteria trash cans and digging through the recycling at the end of lunch to find contamination really got everyone's attention. Lots of folks don't think about where something goes when they throw it "away" and it was a fun way to share the message that ‘there is no away!’”
When not at school, where are you most likely to be found? Or, what’s a fun fact about you that most people don’t know?
Ellen: “I will most likely be found riding my bike on the Delaware and Lehigh Canal Towpath trail. It runs for 165 miles between Bristol and Wilkes-Barre, although not all of it is complete. I love the variation on the trail; you can ride past the Appalachian trail, through a big box store parking lot, past historic 18th century buildings, under the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and through rhododendron-filled gorges, and still be on the same trail and (usually) in sight of the Delaware or Lehigh rivers. It's a great example of different townships working together to make a continuous trail possible.”
Looking forward, what are some of your sustainability hopes and dreams? Who or what inspires you to remain committed to this vision?
Ellen: “Honestly, right now my sustainability hopes and dreams all revolve around electing a president who cares about the environment. I'm continually inspired by the students I work with, they lift my spirits with their optimism even when the battle against the current anti-science, anti-environmental administration seems overwhelming!”
By Kaitlin Reese, Senior Sustainability Intern, Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants, October 2020
