A groundbreaking year for sustainability at Purchase.

Faculty, staff, and students joined forces to kickstart many initiatives to pave the way for a greener future.

Important milestones, such as Purchase’s first BioBlitz, saw members of Purchase’s diverse community investigate the animals and plants living in the campus’ wooded areas.

Driven by student interest, Purchase received two Invasive Species Grants and convened an inaugural cohort of paid Sustainability Interns.

And Sustainability Coordinator Grace Afflerbach made great progress pushing to decrease plastic waste while tirelessly working on the STARS report—a self-reporting rubric that rates the school’s sustainability progress.

The evidence is clear—Purchase’s collaborative culture and commitment  to sustainability lead to a greener earth on our piece of the planet.

The First BioBlitz

When Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Alysson Jackson and her students were interested in the biodiversity of the land the college sits on, they decided to have Purchase’s first BioBlitz.

A BioBlitz is a short span of time when researchers log as many species as possible in a designated area. In September, members of the Purchase community dispersed throughout the campus to log species using a free app called iNaturalist.

“A lot of other campuses really only have their campus,” says Jackson. “They don't have all this amazing forest. But what's in that forest was never completely documented. A BioBlitz can really help you know what's there.”

Among their findings were:

• 176 plant species
• 66 insect species
• 13 arachnid species
• 2 amphibian species
• 9 bird species
• 4 mammal species
• 32 fungi species

Many of the plant species found in Purchase’s forests turned out to be invasive. Without action, Jackson said, much of the forest’s trees are in danger of dying.

Environmental Conservation Grant

The BioBlitz project resulted in a $99,480 grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Invasive Species Program. This grant will fund a three-year-long effort to combat invasive species in the forest on the eastern side of the campus and plant more native trees and shrubs.

Inaugural Cohort of Sustainability Interns

Jackson wanted to involve students in targeting the invasive species on campus. The DEC grant allowed her to hire students to serve as full-time technicians during the summer and receive academic credit during the fall and spring semesters.

Catskill Science Collaborative Grant

Meanwhile, Environmental Studies professor George Kraemer and student Maura Vander Putten were thinking about environmental threats off-campus. A Catskill Science Collaborative grant, funded through the New York State Environmental Protection Funds, gave Vander Putton a summer salary to serve as a research assistant.

Kraemer and Vander Putton will spend the summer studying and logging invasive species along the Catskills hiking trails. Combating the invasive species in the Catskill Mountains is critical, as much of New York City’s water supply comes from this region. A healthy forest helps maintain the water’s purity.

Reduce Single-Use Plastics in Dining Initiative

Purchase College’s Sustainability Advisory Outreach Committee created three subcommittees to target specific issues: land stewardship, transportation, and plastics. Sustainability Coordinator Grace Afflerbach took on the role of co-chair of the plastics subcommittee, along with Sociology associate professor Matthew Immergut. Vending is one of the leading sources of plastic waste, according to Afflerbach. With input from the plastics subcommittee, the Purchase College Association is forming a contract with a new vending company that uses minimal plastic.

Highlights from the STARS Report

Afflerbach also collected and submitted data to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education for its STARS report. STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) is a rubric that measures colleges and universities on their sustainability. The report helps schools log their sustainability improvements over the years and compare their progress with other schools.

Purchase barely earned a Silver rating since the first time participating in 2019, yet finds itself more solid footing maintaining the Silver rating yet gaining several total points to 52.66. Strengths lie in the categories of Grounds, Energy, and Air and Climate. Other categories include Food and Dining and Waste.

The report is valid until 2027, when the process begins again.