Climate, energy, & transportation

Engineering students and FLC volunteers in a group photo at their Solar Spring Break worksite

From service projects that combine academics and volunteerism to bring sustainable energy to low income communities, to incentives for using fuel efficient vehicles, we infuse sustainability into everything we do.

Food & agriculture

From keeping bees to staffing the food bank, we are actively creating a sustainable food system. With a campus garden in addition to the many projects at the Old Fort to help launch the next generation of farmers in Southwest Colorado, there are countless opportunities to get hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture and food systems.

FLC students working in the campus sustainability garden

Open space, biodiversity, & water

Wherever we live, we intersect with our natural environment. In a place like Durango, Colorado, that's really apparent. Surrounded by wild spaces, we work to balance the needs of many stakeholders, from recreationists, to farmers and ranchers, to bears, birds, plants, and water species. Water is a particularly important resource in our region, central to all life and never a guarantee in an arid climate. See how FLC takes responsibility as a steward of our environment.

Black bear on a wildlife cam in the ponderosa forest around Durango--one of the important species that benefits from our sustainability efforts

Recycling, compost, reuse, & purchasing

A cornerstone of sustainability is looking at the whole system of production, use, and disposal. At FLC, we consider sustainability in our purchasing procedures, whether that's food or office supplies. We also work to reuse operational equipment where possible, and invest in systems and infrastructure to divert things we're no longer using from landfills.

FLC's rocket composter turns dining hall food waste into garden compost--part of our comprehensive sustainability efforts