Greetings!

As graduates of America’s Environmental College, I know you share my excitement around Earth Day and the opportunities it brings to engage folks with environmental issues and ways people can be more environmentally conscious in their own lives. With Earth Day being later this week, I want to talk with you about how some of your fellow alumni are tackling environmental challenges in the work they do every day. I’d also like to provide some resources, should you find yourself wanting to volunteer in an Earth Day initiative near you. Lastly, I’m going to share the details of the Unity College Earth Day Challenge!

As you know, Unity College alumni are doing important work in combating environmental issues in a variety of roles every day. Some of this work is with regard to conservation by way of being a Game Warden or Wildlife Biologist, while others may be less obvious by title but equally impactful such as those working in non-profit organizations focused on education, management, or environmental justice. These are just a few of the ways you and your fellow alumni are saving the planet, not to mention the various ways you bring environmental and sustainability practices into your personal lives. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it’s safe to say that every day is Earth Day for Unity College alumni!

Sara DeLucia ‘04, is a Program Manager with the Appalachian Mountain Club. As Program Manager, Sara supervises a staff of outdoor guides who lead trips in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. She works with the guides on the training and skills they need to be successful leaders in the field. Sara plans and implements a schedule of outdoor trips year round for a variety of audiences. She also works on a team that develops risk management policies for the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Kyle Pisano ‘17, is the Coral Nursery Manager for the NOVA NSU, Halmos Oceanographic Center. In this work, corals are removed from the reefs in areas that are not yet impacted by Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD). The goal is to save as many genotypes of the target species as possible in order to use them for restoration and replanting once the disease has receded. Kyle goes out on the collection cruises with the divers and works as topside assistance. This involves cataloging the coral, tagging, and mounting the coral onto a tile. However, his primary role as the nursery manager requires him to be back on land with the corals in the nursery. Kyle runs the day-to-day operations and performs the bulk of the maintenance, from water changes and treating disease, to repairing water pumps. In addition to running the nursery at NOVA, Kyle also develops coral culturing systems for other organizations, such as University of Miami, and is also working alongside the Association of Zoos and Aquariums team to improve coral aquarist training programs.

Bob Costa ‘08, works with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a Maintenance Technician. In this role, Bob maintains the boat landing within the Winona District of the Upper Mississippi River Nat’l Wildlife and Fish Refuge, with a focus on conserving wildlife, fish, and lands for recreational uses, hunting, fishing and boating. In addition, he maintains a fleet of vehicles, boats, airboats, heavy equipment and structures. When asked why he enjoys this work, Bob said “I enjoy being outdoors, helping conserve and protect wildlife for current and future generations!”

Interested in volunteering in support of Earth Day or just doing some good to support those in need during these challenging times? Check out volunteer opportunities in your area through volunteermatch.org. If you do not see any opportunities in your area, consider reaching out to an organization near you focused on a cause that resonates with you and ask if they can use a volunteer. There are organizations related to wildlife, land management, sustainability, food scarcity, ocean clean-up, and more that would truly benefit from Unity College alumni volunteers!

If you follow the official Unity College social media pages, you’ve likely seen the Unity College Earth Day Challenge posts. I encourage you to join the #UnityCollegeEarthDayChallenge! Along with the satisfaction gained from going good to support the health of our planet, we’re sweetening the deal and offering prizes for (1) the best photo, (2) the most unique earth day activity, (3) the best zero waste hack. To enter the contest, participate in any earth day activity on April 22 and post a photo or video on your Instagram feed or story and tag @unitycollege. You can also use the Hashtags #UnityCollegeEarthDayCrew and #UnityEarthDayChallenge. Winners will be announced on Friday, April 23 through the Unity College official social media pages, and will win $ to the Unity College Campus Store.

Here is how you can win: All entries must be submitted by 11pm EST on Thursday, April 22. Friday, April 23, on the Unity College Instagram story, your photo or video will be featured with a poll sticker for voters to give you a thumbs up or an X. Entries with the most thumbs up will be awarded the winner — so make sure you tell all your friends to join in and vote for you! Winners will be chosen and announced at 5pm EST April 23. Disclaimer: By tagging the @unitycollege account you are giving permission for the college to repost on our page.

Thank you for engaging with me this week for Earth Day! As always, please contact us at development@unity.edu, with any questions or comments you may have.

With Pride,

Dr. Melik Peter Khoury
President