Alice Henly, a research fellow at the National Resources Defense Council, recently visited Bowdoin to give a talk to students who are “green reps” for their sports teams. Following her visit, she wrote up her observations of the green action on campus.

“Bowdoin College has long worked to incorporate sustainability efforts into its sports operations, including building the first hockey arena in the U.S. to be awarded LEED certification for New Construction,” Henly writes in her blog. “Now, Bowdoin’s student-athletes are championing sustainability throughout their teams and sports facilities to help further improve their campus’s environmental performance, while also helping protect the fate of their mascot — the Polar Bear.”

She credited Bowdoin Green Athletes, a relatively new student group, for implementing a shoe recycling program and ramping up composting and recycling at games. Henly also applauded the College for building three LEED-certified sports facilities, applying organic fertilizer treatments to its fields, and outfitting the basketball, track and tennis courts with energy-efficient lighting.