Dialogue@ZJU: With the members of ZJU Green Origin Association
[Editor’s note: Established in 1999, the Green Origin Association (GOA), a five-star student association at ZJU organizes various activities on and off campus to raise people’s awareness of environmental protection: birdwatching and bird protection, water protection, garbage collection, public lectures on the SDGs, etc. Recently the association won the UN PRME Award for their excellent performance advancing sustainability practices and responsible management education at ZJU, and we interviewed members of it to learn more about their stories.]
Q: Why did you choose to join the Green Origin Association?
I’ve always been a nature lover. Particularly, I’m very interested in birds. When I found out there is a department for bird watching and protection at the Green Origin Association, I thought to myself “that’s where I belong”. And I do find a group of like-minded people here!
— YAN Xinyu ('24, Environmental Design)
Birding watching activity
I’m from Quzhou, a city that Qu River passes through. At 12 I witnessed a dense algal bloom at a pool near Qu River and I tried so hard to pick up some aquatic plants, thinking it might clean the water. At 17 I made a report about water pollution upon seeing part of Qu River polluted by factories. Since then, I have been thinking what I can do to make best effort to protecting our water. Here at the Green Origin Association, I think I found my answer.
— YANG Jie ('23, Chinese Language and Literature)
For me, environmentalism is a family value. All of my family, my parents and my sister practice environmental protection at all times in their lives. That was why I didn’t hesitate to join the GOA when I was a freshman.
— SUN Qingzhu ('24, Animal Science)
Q: Could you share anything that has impressed you or touched you during your experience with the GOA?
I still remember the Environmental Education Summer Camp organized the year I was just elected the new director of GOA’s Department of Environmental Education. What really impressed me was how enthusiastic and inspired the children were in their learning, and how much joy they gained during the hands-on activities. As volunteer teachers of the camp, we find environmental education camp is quite different from other volunteer teaching activities. Its focus is inclined to the promotion of knowledge and habits of environmental protection. Therefore, we should take a more intentional approach to course design. This experience also led me to think about how we can improve the quality and efficiency of environmental education, to build a more conscious and responsible community.
— ZHANG Jiahe (’24, preventative medicine)
ZHANG taught at the Environmental Education Summer Camp
There are seven departments in the GOA. Although I’ve been in the group for 2 years, I was quite focused on the water protection department. Recently I helped the former association leader to prepare the materials for this year’s ‘Ten Best Student Associations in ZJU’, and it gradually became clear to me how many amazing things other departments have accomplished, which attracted thousands of volunteers to make efforts to the environment. I feel so proud of my fellows. We can, and we will make more changes happen!
— LI Hongyuan ('23, Chinese Language and Literature)
At this association, I discovered that many of the things that I hoped to make a difference with are being taken care of. I know there are people who claim to be nature lovers but do nothing about environmental protection. Instead, they make money for themselves in the name of environmental protection and public welfare. Fortunately, there are also people who really care. Teachers and students that I met at the Green Origin Association are among those. They have done so many things that I can't imagine, and my previous actions—which I was proud of—do not worth mentioning as compared to their perseverance and enthusiasm. I was deeply moved by their words and deeds.
— YANG Jie ('23, Chinese Language and Literature)
Plogging
Q: What do you think is the role that college students play in accelerating the SDGs?
I once thought that sustainable development was a nation-/corporate-level issue, and students have little power to promote it. But after joining the GOA, I feel strongly that we together have great power. When we visit schools and communities to lecture on environmental protection, when we travel to mountains and deserts to help with vegetation, when we walk into the sewage treatment plants and electric power companies to learn and promote the coordinated development of resources, we are making a difference.
— YAN Xinyu ('24, Environmental Design)
Before I wasn’t quite aware of the big role that college students can play in spreading the idea of sustainable development. Now it has been 3 years in the group and I find our efforts are indeed convincing more of living sustainably. We, the young people, bear this responsibility for accelerating the transition to a sustainable world. I look forward to exchanging experience and learning from people around the world who are committed to sustainable development.
— SUN Qingzhu ('24, Animal Science)
Members built an ecological barrier at Kubuqi Desert
Interviewer: YE Linxiao
Editor: HE Jiawen