A Glimpse of History of Green Living at Connecticut College

Green Living began when the Connecticut College Arboretum was established in 1931. The ecological and environmental research and teaching made possible by the presence of the Arboretum incubated a deep interest in these subjects.  Richard Goodwin became Arboretum Director and botany department chair in 1944 and he then hired plant ecologist William Niering in 1953. Their work in ecology and conservation became very important on a local, regional and ultimately national level. 

As the national environmental movement began to really percolate in the 1960s, Goodwin and Niering developed the idea of a Human Ecology major, an interdisciplinary course of study that recognized that progress in dealing with environmental issues needed an understanding that combined the natural and social sciences.  

The Human Ecology major, now called the Environmental Studies major, created a center of gravity for students interested in environmental issues. People like Bill Niering and Dick Goodwin understood it was important to actually live a kind of life style that was as gentle on the earth's systems as possible. With a population of idealistic residential students, the idea easily took hold: the College should be a model for living in an environmentally sustainable manner. 

Then in the early 1980s, the Environmental Model Committee (EMC) was formed. Today, this cross-sector College committee continues to actively develop and initiate environmental policies and programs for the campus community.

In 1993, the College established the Center for Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies to focus energy and funding on the interdisciplinary study of the environment. The Center was then named for Professors Goodwin and Niering by Helen '52 and Andrew Mathieson, who also provided a substantial endowment. Thanks to this generous grant, the Center created its undergraduate certificate program in Environmental Studies. Although primarily an academic center, the Goodwin-Niering Center also functions as an umbrella organization that supports environmental efforts on campus.

View a timeline of environmental milestones at Connecticut College.

Last Modified: Thursday, January 22, 2009 10:28