Gettysburg College
PRE-2: Points of Distinction

The Department of Environmental Studies at Gettysburg College is distinctive insofar as it represents one of the largest environmental studies programs among liberal arts colleges in the nation defined in terms of full-time dedicated faculty. Like programs at other institutions, Gettysburg’s ES program also works with affiliated faculty in numerous other departments across all academic divisions, ranging from English, Africana Studies and Philosophy to Economics, Political Science, Public Policy, Health Sciences, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. However, with seven full-time faculty, the program is able to offer students not only a wide array of courses, but enhanced opportunities for field study and student-faculty research. The department also maintains strong ties to the College’s Painted Turtle Farm (which it founded as part of a student-faculty project), the Center for Public Service, and the Eisenhower Institute for Public Policy. All faculty maintain active research programs and serve as national leaders in their respective fields, including wildlife ecology, marine ecology, GIScience, environmental policy and history, political ecology, sustainable development, earth sciences, environmental and urban planning, and environmental media studies. The department received the Sustainability Stewardship Award from local government leaders (Adams County) for work on environmental planning and has earned citations from the Pennsylvania State Senate and House of Representatives.

The Painted Turtle Farm started in 2007 as a student capstone project with financial support from a Mellon research grant. In 2013, a Davis Peace grant helped transform the farm into a campus-community hub for food justice. The farm provides space (raised beds) for 29 local migrant and formerly migrant families to grow their own culturally relevant foods. The aspiration of the Painted Turtle Farm is food sovereignty, meaning that we do not grow food to donate to others (charity), but that we return control of the land and the decisions over to vulnerable populations who do not always have a voice in or control over decisions. In addition to the raised beds, student workers and volunteers operate a CSA program which raises money for the operation of the farm. Students learn about financial sustainability at the same time they are practicing reciprocity with the land. We are a Certified Naturally Grown farm, learning about organic growing practices and pest control. The farm is a place where students put into practice what they are learning in courses, or conduct research projects that interest them (examples: establishment of a pollinator garden; establishment of a Three Sisters Garden; an aquaponics project). In addition, several classes at Gettysburg College take field trips to the farm, tours and work days led by student leaders at the farm. Finally, building on the Land Acknowledgement Statement adopted by the college, students have adapted the statement for use before every volunteer shift, relating the indigenous wisdom regarding taking care of the earth to practices at the farm, such as the reciprocity of the Three Sisters Garden or the soil health we enjoy because of the CNG practices.

In 2001, the College began a partnership with the local United Way to help distribute a large surplus of old but usable office furniture in our to warehouse to over 70 local non profits. As surplus started to expand to residential furniture, appliances and the increasing request for our students wanting to make donations as they departed campus, we found a need to come up with a broader solution that found a way to find good homes for items that still have useful life.
In 2004 GETTYSBURG College and UNITED Way of Adams County partnered for the 1st Annual GETTYSBURG UNITED - Give It Up For Good Sale. The concept is simple: Gettysburg College provides our 2,200 residential students in our 50 plus residence halls with collection boxes for clothing, furniture, household items, non perishable foods to the united way. The College donates retired appliances, college owned appliances and residence hall furniture to the United Way. The College provides use of our 25,000 square foot Field house for 3 weeks in May to the United Way to prepare and host annual community wide yard sale for the donated the items. The sale occurs annually on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend.
The College's partnership with the United Way has continued for over 20 years, with the Annual Give it Up for Good Sale just completing its 17th year. Over the years this event has helped the local United Way of Adams County raise over $350,000 to support their community programs. At the same time it has helped Gettysburg College redirect nearly 500 tons of items to a second life. The sale is attended by nearly 1,000 people annually.
The event created a culture with our students and with our Facilities Services Department the importance of considering that there are options for your items to be reused or repurpose. At the same time establishing a community tradition and partnership that the College is proud to co-organize with the United Way. GETTYSBURG UNITED!