Environmental Stewards Kaden Reynolds ’27, Elena Strozewski ’27, and Emily Brown ’29 introduced tailgate visitors to native amphibians found on Catawba's campus, including frogs and salamanders. The display highlighted the biodiversity of the Fred Stanback, Jr. Ecological Preserve and offered visitors an opportunity to learn more about the College's natural environment.
A spotted salamander, housed in an enclosure representing its natural habitat, was a favorite among children and other visitors. The Stewards also offered sensory boxes containing food, plastic insect toys, and other small objects designed to represent salamander eggs and insects, giving visitors another way to explore the amphibians' environment.
The Homecoming festivities also provided an opportunity for the Stewards to connect with environmental science alumni from the 1990s, 2000s, and 2020s at Catawba's Center for the Environment. At the tailgate, they combined Halloween fun with sustainability education, offering a "Monster Box" to collect plastic candy wrappers for recycling.
“I enjoyed seeing so many parents come to our table,” said Cheyenne Howard, Environmental Education Outreach Coordinator. “Most folks did not know that plastic wrappers can be recycled. It takes separate collection, and our festive monster box to deposit the waste was exciting for children of alumni to interact with.”
The Stewards' work continued after the tailgate and football game as they managed game-day waste operations, sorting, weighing, and recording compostable, recyclable, and general waste collected from the tailgate and football stadium. They also cleared the stadium stands.
As a result, 74% of all collected material, by weight, was correctly recycled or composted, demonstrating how student-led sustainability efforts contribute to Catawba's campus operations.
Through wildlife education, alumni engagement, and hands-on waste management, the Environmental Stewards brought the work of Catawba's Center for the Environment into the Homecoming celebration while strengthening traditions that connect generations of students and graduates.
For more information about the Environmental Stewards, Catawba College Center for the Environment, and Environment & Sustainability program, visit catawba.edu/sustainability.
About the Environmental Stewards
The Environmental Stewards Program is an honor, work opportunity, and leadership development program. The program develops students from all academic backgrounds into dynamic leaders and realizes a commitment to environmental stewardship. Stewards work on campus and community-related projects throughout the school year that provide environmental education, enhance sustainable practices, and/or improve local land, water, or air quality or one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
About Catawba College
Founded in 1851, Catawba College is a four-year, private liberal arts college located on a 276-acre campus, including a 189-acre ecological preserve, in Salisbury, N.C. Ranked as one of the best colleges in the South, Catawba is a learning community of nearly 1,400 students from 35 states and 45 nations, providing students with opportunities shaped by the Catawba Ideal: Scholarship with Character and Culture for Service. Additional information is available at catawba.edu.
