Sustainability

Cascadia is on the forefront of the sustainability movement at U.S. colleges. We have an award-winning green campus, a slate of practices, and academic degrees and programs that revolve around sustainability.

Sustainability is the recognition that the prosperity of our people, planet, health, and economy are integrated together and inextricably linked. Sustainability is a concept, a discipline, and an ideal to improve methods to equitably support human resilience while reducing our impacts and waste; connecting with nature to build a deeper understanding of our role in the world.

Awards and Memberships

Cascadia College has been rated #1 in nation for six consecutive years by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)

Our campus is also certified Salmon-Safe, recognized for its pollinator gardens and Food Forest, and is platinum status for Green Grounds Management.

Cascadia won a 2021 AASHE Sustainability Award for our Cornucopia Food Forest!

Cascadia College campus received one of the Puget Sound Business Journal’s 2024 Environmental and Sustainability Awards - for Water Stewardship!

National Wildlife Federation certifies habitats designed to support wildlife.

Highest certification for campus green grounds

Recognized for practices that protect water quality and enhance urban watersheds

Awarded by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education

Member of global network of institution advancing sustainable development

Certified since 2021 as a campus dedicated to conserving native pollinators

Green Campus

Our campus is managed 100% pesticide free! We have LEED buildings, pollinator gardens, and 58-acres of wetland. Our campus is a living laboratory where Cascadia students can engage in hands-on learning!

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Green Buildings

Since 2012, all new buildings on campus have been LEED certified. Cascadia is committed to investing in designs that focus on sustainable building materials and low-energy systems. The buildings themselves provide students enrolled in related courses data to monitor and report usage data to the state.

Campus Grounds

Our campus, shared with University of Washington, Bothell, is a case study for green campuses in the United States. Every decision that is made from the selection of plantings to the choice not to use pesticides is based on what is best for the planet and its inhabitants.

Wetlands

Pull on your muck boots! We've got 58-acres of restored wetlands on our campus, and Cascadia and UW Bothell students and faculty work with groundskeepers to maintain them!

Bachelor and Associate Programs

Study towards a career focusing on improving society and making a difference with Sustainability! You can earn a two-year (Water Resource Management) or bachelor's (four-year - Sustainable Practices) degree at Cascadia to help make positive changes for people, communities, and the planet.
Water Program | Bachelor in Sustainability

check out our academic programs

Engagement and the Sustainability Committee

Check out the campus blog Integrate It! and the Campus Calendar for the latest information about sustainability activities on campus and in our community.

Join our bi-weekly Sustainability Opportunities newsletter for articles and updates!

The Sustainability Committee is a mixed faculty, staff, and student committee that works to promote, improve, and engage on sustainability initiatives on campus. The committee has helped create class materials, our Sustainability (SU) course designation, facilities improvements, and host events!
If you're on campus and would like to participate in the committee, please email bas@cascadia.edu for information.

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Research and Community Projects!

Check out research and community projects we do on campus - from student's work in the Sustainability Bachelor's degree program, to greater campus projects!
Not only is the process of designing and completing a project important as an academic component, it can also be instrumental in helping you find your next job! Students of any level or area can participate!