Last Wednesday, Tech community members, University of Georgia Family and Consumer Sciences (UGA FACS) Extension Agents, and a bright-eyed tuxedo kitten congregated under the Community Garden pavilion to learn about sustainable cleaning practices.
The Green Cleaning workshop, hosted by the Campus Life’s Office of Sustainability in conjunction with UGA FACS Extension, consisted of an informational talk about greenwashing and best practices for sustainable cleaning, followed by a do-it-yourself room spray and all-purpose cleaner. Tamsin Leavy, the Community Garden Coordinator and Program Manager, led the event, which is part of a larger effort by Campus Life to reach Tech students and staff and encourage them to think about the environment.
“My personal goal, actually, with this job, is just to get people to shift for a few minutes and think differently,” Leavy said. “And if they get to some of the workshops too in the process, that’s awesome. Anything like that, that’s my goal.”
Leavy was first hired after the community garden was renovated in 2023 to serve as a part-time liaison between students and staff. After being promoted to a full-time position, Leavy has been building up momentum to host regular programming that deals with sustainability and horticulture. Her ideas for future workshops range from teaching students how to forage around the EcoCommons to creating biodegradable wreaths for the holiday season.
In order to curate the best programming possible, Leavy works hard to bring in experts from all around Georgia, such as Jamille Hawkins and Cecilia Tran. Hawkins and Tran are UGA FACS Agents who are dedicated to sharing information about home, health and wellness. UGA FACS has offices in most Georgia counties, with Hawkins and Tran representing Dekalb and Fulton, respectively.
In the Green Cleaning workshop, Hawkins and Tran walked participants through the formulation of an eco-friendly room spray consisting of water, witch hazel and essential oils. While each person started with the same water and witch hazel base, they were allowed to choose their essential oils to create a personalized fragrance. Isaiah Kenny, second-year CS, opted for a sweet orange and eucalyptus scent.
“It was pretty fun learning about those things,” Kenny said. “And I get my free [room spray].”
In addition to the room spray, participants also left with a homemade all-purpose cleaner featuring castile soap, an oil-based cleaning agent that is completely biodegradable. Hawkins and Tran encouraged people to be more selective about the cleaning products they were using, for the sake of their own health and the health of the environment.
According to the FACS Agents, a Green Seal or Safer Choice sticker is a good sign that a cleaning product is environmentally conscious; however, a 100% Biocompatible label means virtually nothing.
One of the reasons that Leavy chose to host the Green Cleaning workshop is because she hoped that students would use the cleaning products that they made in their dorms and be inspired to do their own research about changes they could make to be more sustainable. She sees the workshops as a good starting point for introducing students to sustainable practices. While she recognizes that many Tech students are busy, she believes in promoting small changes and small moments.
“I remember undergrad and grad and everything school, you just like, gotta get to class and get things done,” Leavy said. “But like we’re still connected to the earth. And just to stop for a couple of seconds and realize that connection is so worth it.”
In addition to coordinating events, Leavy is also responsible for managing the Community and Kendeda rooftop gardens and works closely with Students Organizing for Sustainability (SOS). Together, they are pushing for more green spaces on Tech’s campus, such as “pocket gardens” to house berry bushes that students and staff can pick as they walk by.
Leavy wants people to know that the gardens on campus are for everyone. While there is Wi-Fi and tables to do work, the garden can also be a place to slow down and find serenity. She recounts an experience she had with a student who thanked her for her part in taking care of the gardens.
“They came back this semester…and they were like, ‘Thank you so much for keeping it going,’ and like, ‘I was excited to come back and be in the garden…this is my little sanity spot for like 10 minutes,’” Leavy said.
In the future, Leavy hopes that more people — students and staff — will come out to the workshops and gardens and take some time to be in nature. Whether it is a Tech Dining member making their way through campus before the sun comes up, or a student studying late into the night, the gardens of Tech are there for them.
“You know, [the Community Garden] has tons of pollinators that are making their way out into the rest of campus. The Kendeda rooftop has a ton of butterflies and bees, and we have squirrels who steal all our tomatoes,” Leavy said. “I would recommend for everyone to just stop, for five minutes. Stand where you are and…take a deep breath.”
The next Community Garden workday will be Sept. 14 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and is open to everyone.