With climate change intensifying and less support for those who wish to take a stand, it is important to note how impactful our quotidian actions may be. As Jane Goodall once said, “People should think about the consequences of the little choices they make each day.” Every meal we eat, products we purchase or items thrown away leaves its mark on the environment.
As of September 2025, the University of Denver has welcomed the debut of a new club determined to turn awareness into action, the Sustainable Action Club.
The main mission of the club is to organize student-led and on-campus projects that translate to broader environmental impacts. In doing this, the club hopes to encourage the entire student body to partake in sustainable practices to enforce cooperation on ideas for a greener future.
DU has a handful of sustainability-centered clubs including Divest DU, which promotes student activism through the call for the University of Denver to withdraw from its investments in companies that profit from the burning of fossil fuels. Divest DU aims to lead campaigns to confront the University of Denver’s acts of greenwashing, focusing on the issue of fossil fuels specifically.
Another key player that promotes the power of sustainability is the DU Pollination Club, which works to improve and maintain biodiversity on campus through garden work days in the Bridge Community Garden, as well as attaining and maintaining partnerships with community groups that support pollinator-positivity around Denver.
Although these two clubs have different ways of going about their sustainability initiatives, they both favor the planet and show the student body how meaningful their voices can be in the grand scheme of environmental injustice and unsustainable institutional practices.
However, while both of these clubs highlight what is necessary to address in order to divert from aiding the progression of climate change, there are many ways to further explore how our institution can better its involvement in sustainable practices.
This is where the Sustainable Action Club comes into play. Through the upcoming Clothing Swap and larger projects each quarter, the Sustainable Action Club aims to cover multiple bases in terms of sustainability, showing members and non-participating students of the university how they can incorporate eco-friendly practices into their day to day lives.
“It’s so important to know why we must be sustainable,” said club president, Abbey Van Valkenburg. “Every little thing matters when it comes to the environment, and the more people who understand and practice that, the more of a difference we can make. I hope that our club can show students how easily they can get more involved.”
The clothing swap — the first project led by the sustainability club — will be made possible through donations from the student body. Donation boxes will be placed in each residence hall, allowing students to contribute used clothing items. The swap will take place on Nov. 11, and remaining clothes are to be donated to a local shelter.
Through quarterly projects and partnerships in the community, the Sustainable Action Club’s mission is to show students of the University of Denver that being sustainable should be accessible and engaging for all.
Change starts with those who are willing to speak up, take action and be open to learning.
At the University of Denver, an increasing number of students are showing how small acts, when acted on and multiplied, can generate lasting impacts on the planet.
