“These students planned the cleanup at Shunga Creek for their project for my Environmental Sociology course,” said Ibañez, assistant professor of sociology for Washburn University. “This course was developed for WUmester, the theme of which is sustainability. This semester we've taken a 'systems approach' to the environment; students have learned about the effects of economic development on the environment as well as environmental inequalities.”
“When designing this course, I was concerned that the magnitude of environmental issues would overwhelm the students, so I wanted to include a project that would show them how they can make a difference at the local level. And the students have worked hard to put this event together.”
The students chose the Warren Nature Area along the Shunga Creek because they all live in Topeka and all use this area for various outdoor activities, like disc golf, on a regular basis. The goal of this project is to clean up an area where they and other local community members go to enjoy nature. The Warren Nature Area is a popular hiking, walking, and biking trail. There is also a creek within the Warren Nature Area which feeds into the Kansas River; additionally, it is home to a variety of wildlife.
“All of us have a shared passion for nature and beautification of our community,” said Maegan Leavendusky, Washburn University student and member of this project team. “We wanted to have a direct, visible impact since there will be a definite before and after result. With the course theme of sustainability, we felt this project could definitely be repeated for future years.”
The students plan to recycle as much of the litter and debris they remove as possible.
WUmester is intended to foster a university-wide conversation on a diversity-related topic that will change each spring semester. The goal of the program is to engage the entire WU community in a cross-disciplinary learning experience on timely subjects and help students see the connections between the subjects they study in the classroom and real-world debates and problems. The topic for WUmester 2021 is sustainability.
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