The mission of the New Mexico Highlands University Sustainability and Conservation Committee is to minimize negative socioecological impacts and maximize the integrity, resilience, and beauty of the landscape and its human and non-human constituent communities. The Sustainability and Conservation Committee is comprised of administrators, faculty, staff, and students who want to help NMHU foster sustainability in campus operations, education, governance, policy, and research.
Membership is open to all. We organize workshops on sustainability-related topics, such as gardening and mending; coordinate the annual NMHU Earth Day Celebration; and develop proposals for sustainable campus projects, such as the campus pollinator garden, and Senninger Hall water harvesting system.
To get involved, contact:
Dr. Tomasz Falkowski, Department of Forestry
Room: HSCI-334
Sustainability and Conservation Committee Current Membership
- Tomasz Falkowski (chair)
- Jennifer Aldred
- Sylvia Baca
- Leon Bustos
- Jesus Rivas
- Eric Romero
- Julie Tumblety
NMHU Sustainability Accomplishments
- Water use
- Harvesting rainwater from underground water catchment systems to irrigate drought-tolerant shrubs on campus
- Planting drought-resistant indigenous trees on campus
- Watering greenspaces and athletic fields with city effluent water
- Using low-flow fixtures at all housing apartments
- Installing water-bottle refill stations
- Facilities and buildings
- LEED certification for all new construction and renovations since 2015
- Installing solar panels to parking lot and building facilities to offset electrical costs
- Replacing campus roofs with white, reflective TPO roofs
- Maintaining cultural park and pollinator garden on campus to provide ecosystem services in urban areas
- Transportation
- Purchasing hybrid and two electric vehicles for university fleet
- Maintaining electric charging station
- Installing bike racks
- Operations
- Recycling center that accepts metal, cardboard, and batteries from campus and off-campus community within 60-mile radius
- Reducing 489 mt CO2e through HVAC efficiency improvements
- Transitioning to electric documentation to reduce paper waste
Campus Sustainability Resources
- Reusable plates and utensils: The Sustainability and Conservation committee has 150 sets of plates and utensils which can be requested for campus events. Sodexo offers washing services for a nominal charge.
- Carpooling planner: To facilitate carpooling, the Sustainability and Conservation committee administers a carpool list of individuals interested in sharing a ride to and from campus.
- Bicycles for rent: The NMHU Outdoor Recreation Center has bicycles and helmets for rent.
- Makerspace: A space to work on projects, including repairs.
Event Calendar
TBA