When I think of groups and projects that promote sustainability at UBC, the Sustainability Ambassadors jump into my head. In November I attended an event called Sustainability Storytelling, which was run by the ambassadors. At the event, various folks who do work in the sustainability field told stories about their experiences, and students were able to brainstorm ways that they can use their passions and skills to solve issues that they are passionate about. It was wonderful to attend the event, and it was clear that the Sustainability Ambassadors had put a lot of thought and effort into the evening.

In order to learn more about that event and what Sustainability Ambassadors do, I spoke to Carmen, a member of the group.

Carmen is a Sustainability Ambassador at UBC!

What do the Sustainability Ambassadors do on campus?

The overall purpose of the group is to provide students with knowledge about sustainability opportunities on campus and sustainability careers. As a Sustainability Ambassador, I get to bring my  own passions to the table. It’s about more than just saving water and trees, but also about bringing my own interests and encouraging others to get involved. We also further the conversation about sustainability- there is more to sustainability than just the environment.

Why did you get involved?

Growing up, I was always passionate about sustainability, but I didn’t always get that vibe from the people around me. When I came to UBC, I realized that it’s okay to be super passionate about sustainability. I wanted to get involved and did some research. I found the Sustainability Ambassadors, and thought it was cool because it connected people with resources. I also like that it’s interdisciplinary- the group is made up of people from all different faculties, which exposes you to different fields of sustainability, but we work towards the common goal of sustainability.

What has been your favorite event or project with the Sustainability Ambassadors so far?

The Sustainability Storytelling event. We tried to have balance in our speakers- not only in their genders, but also their careers and fields: we had an artist, impact investor, someone who works in urban agriculture, and more. This allowed students to see lots of different fields. Not only students, but professors and ex-professors came out too. I liked that we were sharing stories, so students can make sustainability their own, rather than us setting an example for students to follow.

For me, the most impressive part of the event was how entertaining and hopeful the stories were. Often, when I think about sustainability and the work that needs to be done, I get overwhelmed by the negative: we’re running out of resources, natural disasters are thriving, ice is melting and there’s not a lot we, as individuals, can do about it. Before attending Sustainability Storytelling, I would imagine that sustainability events would be educational and devastating, as they would talk about these issues. However, at the event, we got to learn about the ways folks use that devastation and concern to do tangible, awesome things.

The event was documented through drawings by SofsDoodles, and one of the story drawings is below. In the drawing, you can see that Grace’s story started with devastation, and then moved towards positive action. I think this is one of the most important steps within the activism and action process- moving beyond education and awareness towards actually creating change.

A SofsDoodles drawing, showing one of the stories that was shared at the Sustainability Storytelling event.

I loved talking to Carmen and learning a bit more about her experience with the Sustainability Ambassador group. I think it’s impressive that they volunteer so much of their time towards making UBC a more sustainable place, and towards making students more aware about the need for sustainability. Further, it provides what sounds like an awesome involvement opportunity to so many students at UBC.

If you would like to learn more about what Sustainability Ambassadors do for our campus, their website can be found here. They do amazing work, and recently were recognized by Santa Ono for their  UN Sustainable Development Goals Awareness Campaign.

I’m looking forward to chatting to more sustainability superstars later this semester, and learning about some of the work that folks at UBC do for sustainability.