Eco Warriors | Photo by Daniel Delgado | The Wright State Guardian
The inspiration to start such an organization stemmed from an assignment in a research writing class.
“We were challenged to write a research-based paper that proposed how one problem may be a solution to another,” said Rachel Moorman, EcoWarriors’ treasurer.
In the making since March of 2018, one of Wright State University’s newest organizations, EcoWarriors and its 15 dedicated members, became official on Oct. 24.
“I chose the problem of wastefulness to solve poverty and ended up putting together a model for how we can redirect some of Dayton’s waste to people who really need it through a donation pick-up service,” said Moorman. While collecting my research, I fell in love with the zero-waste movement and began to rethink the way I was living.”
Impacted by her research, Moorman made a lifestyle change and got friends and family to join her initiative of going green and becoming more eco-friendly.
“I started this group with the hopes of inspiring others to do the same and have been met with an undeniable force of passionate friends and supporters. Together, we hope to change the whole city of Dayton, but for now, we’re content to focus on how we can influence WSU,” said Moorman.
EcoWarriors hopes to impart its crucial influence statewide and beyond through the students they impact.
“I would love to see [EcoWarriors’] impact reach beyond the implementation of programs. I think the greatest impact EcoWarriors could have is instilling the drive to be environmentally conscious in WSU students wherever they happen to be,” said Katie Jones, website coordinator for the organization.
“One of our planned initiatives is to restore the Garden of the Senses near the dorms. I would love to see this happen; the garden is one of my go-to places on campus and to see it restored would be a great sign of EcoWarriors’ impact,” said Jones.
Britas, reusable water bottles that the members of EcoWarriors use, recycling and composting are just a few eco-friendly initiatives that students can implement in their everyday lives.
“There are methods to cut down on waste as well as food waste. Choosing fresh foods, filling glass jars instead of plastic packaging, refillable deodorants [and more]. If they have any questions, they can contact us and we can help them come up with different ways to be more eco-friendly,” said Cassandra Poeppelman, president of EcoWarriors.
For those interested in joining, look for EcoWarriors on Engage or follow their Instagram @wsuecowarriors or Twitter @eco_wsu, as well as their group website.
