The Environmental Stewards of Catawba College started of the school year with a bang, or rather, a splash! Traveling to Lake Junaluska for some planning, fellowship, and fun, the group was surrounded by the beautiful mountain scenery in Asheville, North Carolina. The group, led by Director of the Center for The Environment, Dr. John Wear and Director of Operations, Cathy Green also got to partake in whitewater rafting in Tennessee later that weekend. Together, the stewards discussed the fundamentals of activism on campus and created a list of ideas for environmentally based projects and events around the Catawba campus.

The group began their weekend adventure Friday afternoon participating in a multitude of bonding activities to get to know one another a little bit better. Afterward, the stewards planned upcoming events for this year with ideas ranging from bonfires, on-campus farmers markets, and eco-friendly concerts. Catawba will be seeing much from the Environmental Stewards this year! The second days was filled with fun and travel as the group made their way to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for whitewater rafting through the Rafting in the Smokies Company. Rafting through the Pigeon River since 1978, this rafting trip offers a variety of excitements such as the great expanse of mountain terrain and the crashing of the rapids along the way. For some of the stewards (such as yours truly) this was their first time experiencing whitewater rafting and I must say that after you tackle the class 4 rapids, you feel invisible! I myself, got to face my fears and take a dip into the water for the first time and it felt amazing (after I stopped freaking out). This was definitely a trip that I will never forget.

I think one of the best things about the Environmental Stewards program is that students come together with like-minded people to create awareness on relevant issues such as recycling on campus, composting, and preserving our natural resources. I have found that working in the program has given me experience and the initiative to see projects through. I will never forget what I have learned in the program, the relationships or connections that I have created. Here’s hoping for the program’s continued success and influence at Catawba and within the Salisbury community.