'Fighting for our future': UNC promotes sustainability on campus amid climate change

Wildlife in North Carolina, and on campus, is facing extinction due to invasive species and an increase in temperatures from worldwide climate change. 

According to a report by North Carolina State University, North Carolina’s climate has warmed by about 1 degree Fahrenheit over the past 120 years.

WRAL-TV also reported that North Carolina is now above the 1.5 Celsius threshold, a degree used to measure a critical point in global warming that could lead to severe weather events, species loss, rising sea levels and “widespread destruction.” 

North Carolina Botanical Garden Director of Horticulture Dan Stern said that some plants are facing species extinction due to the climate crisis. 

UNC junior and president of the Epsilon Eta Environmental Honors Fraternity Jadon Wellum said he has seen how UNC’s campus has been impacted by invasive species such as Wisteria.

“[Wisteria is] very beautiful, but it is, in fact, unfortunately invasive, which means it drives off native species, and that helps lower the biodiversity,” he said.

Wellum said he has noticed the plant around South Campus.  

In an email statement to The Daily Tar Heel, Assistant Professor for Environmental Sciences, Engineering, and City and Regional Planning Noah Kittner emphasized the benefits to having flourishing plant life. 

“Green spaces can improve mental health and reduce stress, creating a more vibrant atmosphere and contributing to campus sustainability,”  Kittner wrote.

UNC’s faculty, staff, students and other members of the Chapel Hill community are seeking ways to combat climate change by innovating new technologies that protect plant life around town.

Stern and the botanical garden have implemented their own methods to ensure plants receive the proper care they need, such as reintroducing and researching wild spaces in North Carolina throughout the Southeast.

Stern also said that UNC has conducted great work through stormwater management and sustainable initiatives.

The UNC Institute for the Environment is a department that has fostered many innovative projects, such as University Arborist Tom Bythell’s Carolina Tree Heritage program. 

Through this program, Bythell has implemented new mechanisms, including air-spade technology that helps ease aging tree roots, while also developing a program to replant trees on campus.

In addition to these programs, student groups have also played a part in helping not only ensure plants get the proper care they need, but educating and advocating with other students about how important the environment is.

Epsilon Eta focuses on “environmental service both on campus and in the local community to promote conversation and awareness of environmental issues," according to it’s HeelLife page.

“Our mission is basically just to provide a space for those interested in sustainability or environmental science," Wellum said. "You don't have to be [an environmental science] major but just the passion is all we look for, and we provide those people a space to connect with each other and provide opportunities.”

Wellum said the fraternity promotes their mission by holding service events and volunteering opportunities for students in the fraternity to engage in. He said he believes these events are vital for students to experience.

“We hope to help create this community where these members will go on to make big differences with whatever they do, because we are fighting for our future,” he said.

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