KASA Sustainability (KASA) was formed in 2015 with the mission of (re)connecting people to nature. The organization’s action is led by the core belief that “humans are not in control of nature.” Informed by ecology, our principles encompass diversity (rather than standardization), collaboration (rather than competition) and reciprocity (rather than getting ahead). For KASA, sustainability can be realized when humans recognize the complexity of human-nature interactions and honor the interdependence of multispecies life-making.

 

Because KASA is based in Sophia University, sustainability encompasses three pillars central to the missions of higher education: 1) Research and Education; 2) Practice and Infrastructure; Global and 3) Community Engagement. Our initiatives were created at the intersection of those pillars: Campus Farming and Composting, Sustainable Campus Forum and the Environmental Change Workshop.

KASA members also engage in empirical and theoretical research by field-based learning and research, work with communities, actively participate in local and international conferences, publish scholarly papers, and organize workshops. The goal of KASA is to inspire social change and continue conversations on making the campus more sustainable, integrating research and action while gaining a like-minded community and a deeper understanding of the interdependence of human-nature relations.