UC Santa Barbara’s Greeks Go Green held a community farmer’s market at Greek Park on Saturday, one part of several projects they’ve taken on to help students practice environmentally sustainable practices both on and off campus.
Greeks Go Green – a student-run organization focused on making Greek life more sustainable – was founded less than a year ago, according Kappa Alpha Theta member Miranda de Moraes, a third-year sociology and philosophy major.
The organization is currently operated by two co-presidents: de Moraes and Dean Narlock, a third-year computer science major and Sigma Pi member.
The farmer’s market, held between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., featured a handful of campus organizations and local businesses from the greater Santa Barbara area: Blue Ridge Honey, I.V. Food Co-op, I.V. Trading Post, the Climate Reality Project, I.V. Surfrider and the Program for Assessment and Certification for the Environment and Sustainability (P.A.C.E.S).
Some served various types of food, while others showed off art pieces and live music; all promoted “eating environmentally” and environmentally conscious attitudes.
“We’re really hoping to educate anyone [who came to our] event on how to choose your foods, whether you’re at the grocery store or a farmer’s market, and know the story behind everything you buy,” Narlock said.
De Moraes said the organization was first created to address the lack of sustainable practices in Greek life at UCSB.
“Greek life is a massive organization of people, and unless environmentalism is a top priority, it will inevitably generate a lot of waste due to the number of people involved,” she said.
Greeks Go Green is officially recognized by UCSB due to its sponsorship by the Inter-Greek Council, allowing it to have its own budget, according to de Moraes.
It is also entirely supported through donations and fundraisers, she said.
