What is the Green Terp Program?:

• • A social marketing effort to promote enviornmentally responsible choices

  • A program to engage students with an action checklist, ongoing support and eco gear to help making sustainable choices easy

  • Green Terp is for individual students – anyone can participate, regardless of your living arrangements

  • A program in partnership with the Department of Resident Life and the Office of Sustainability

Green Terp Program Goals:

• 1. Recognize and reward leadership in sustainability

  2. Educate participants about how and why to take action

  3. Encourage and support action to conserve water, energy, waste, resources, and emissions

  4. Promote campus policies and programs that advance sustainability

  5. Engage the community in activities to strengthen UMD as a leader in sustainability

  6. Support the University’s Climate Action Plan, Strategic Plan, and our contributions to UN Sustainable Development Goals

  7. Further integrate sustainability into campus culture

Program Development

The Green Terp Program started in fall 2015, when the Director of Resident Life created the Green Terp Advisory Committee with the charge of investigating, researching and developing a residential sustainability program for UMD.

After a successful pilot, the program expanded campus-wide in 2018. Many have contributed to developing the Green Terp Program, including:

• • Students

  • Resident Life

  • Residential Facilities (including housekeeping)

  • Dining Services

  • Recycling and Solid Waste Office

  • Living Learning programs

  • Office of Sustainability

  • Resident Hall Association (RHA)

A big debt of gratitude goes to Lisa Alexander, Resident Life's Coordinator for Sustainability Programs, and all of the Resident Directors and Resident Assistants involved in the pilot phase of the Green Terp program.

For more information about the program, email us at greenterp@umd.edu.