WWU's Natalie Harris Brings Her Passion to Help Spread Environmental Awareness to Her Role With the AS

Western Today recently chatted with Associated Students Environment and Sustainability Programs (ESP) Coordinator Natalie Harris. Since starting at her position last fall, Harris has been working to bring events to campus that spread environmental awareness, like February's Valentine's Day Art Market, and she had a lot to say about upcoming events such as Earth Week.

WT: Can you tell us about the things ESP has been working on?

Harris: Yeah, we are working on so much. It's pretty crazy. Earth Week is here. This year, we have two weeks of events on campus. The biggest one will be Earth Fair, which is on Friday, April 21, and that is going to be a farmers market-style event. Kind of similar to the art market. It'll be outside in Red Square and feature local businesses, food trucks, and live music. But beyond that, we're going to be doing some events in the Outback Farm, because they are looking at some budget cuts, and they need help. So, we're going to try and get people into the Outback.

WT: What was the inspiration to start doing art markets like the one held for Valentine's Day?

Harris: I'm inspired by local artists around me all the time, and I think, as we all know, Bellingham does these markets that are run by young people all the time. There's a really cool culture of house shows and community-powered art, music, stuff like that. I know that those kinds of events bring the community together, and there have been a lot of studies that show that tighter communities care more about their local environment. So, I just noticed a rift between what people at Western do outside of Western and what Western actually hosts. I just felt that, if everybody is really into art markets, then we should bring that here, and Western should hold a space for those kinds of activities.

I wanted to do it on Valentine's Day, because Valentine's Day is just a huge consumer holiday, and a big day to go out and buy stuff that you probably throw away pretty soon. I mean, we all love Valentine's Day, but you're really encouraged to go and just buy stuff from Target. So I thought that if the art market was there, maybe it would encourage people to buy from local businesses and local artists instead of going to a big-box store.

WT: What made you apply for your position in the AS?

Harris: I'm majoring in environmental justice and so far, it has totally worked out. I've gotten so much experience with event planning, I've learned so much about the community, and I've made so many contacts.

WT: When did you realize you were passionate about the environment?

Harris: Growing up in Washington, we're so blessed to live here with all of the trees, water, and mountains that make up our local environment. I grew up really close to the nature around me; and in my sophomore year of high school, I had a chemistry teacher who was really passionate about the environment, and I was inspired by him. He would give us our normal chemistry homework, but it always kind of looped back to some environmental angle. I'm more passionate about it every day just when I look out my window, which I know sounds corny.

WT: Do you have any advice for the Western community on supporting environmental justice and sustainability?

Harris: That's such a hard question. It feels like there's a lot of doom and gloom in environmentalism, and that's something that a lot of other people in my field and I are really trying to correct. Bring some optimism to your climate discussions; we want to have Earth Week be a time to celebrate the earth, celebrate each other and the community, feel joy, and just gather in person. I think that those kinds of things really improve our connection to the earth, and it goes so much further than just not using plastic straws or shortening your shower.

For more event information visit sustain.wwu.edu/earth-week. Have a question for Natalie Harris about her role in the AS? Contact her at as.env.justice@wwu.edu.