Shenandoah University Excels in Waste Cleanup Competition

By Jace Gibson ’26

During the 2025 Fall Term, Shenandoah University entered the ring in the Green & Clean Campus Challenge, a partnership between the National Park Trust and Brew Dr. Kombucha which saw seven schools compete amongst each other in an effort to make their local green spaces cleaner. Competing universities each hosted a variety of volunteer cleanup events, and earned points based on how much waste was collected. In total, over 250 pounds of waste was collected and properly disposed of thanks to the challenge.

In the end, Shenandoah University finished in second place, close on the tail of Knox College, and ahead of schools such as Harvard University and the University of Florida. 

In collaboration with Shenandoah Outdoor and Adventure Recreation (SOAR) and the university’s Environmental and Sustainability Club, SU students and National Park Trust college ambassadors Jacob Gorman ’27 and Rosaline Hertenstein ’28 organized a series of three cleanup events – one per month from October through December – at locations in and around Shenandoah’s main campus. These locations included Abrams Creek, where the Environmental Studies Department loaned several pairs of waders to the group, the city of Winchester’s Jim Barnett Park, and the city’s Green Circle Trail along Wilkins Lake. Each event averaged between 20-30 participants, and students collected 101.62 pounds of trash across all three events.

For the Green & Clean Campus Challenge, Hertenstein said participating schools were scored every two weeks based on how many pounds of trash were gathered per participant. Bonus points were also awarded during each bi-weekly period for most trash bags collected overall, heaviest total trash weight, and highest number of participants.

In a blog post about the Green & Clean Campus Challenge, the National Park Trust wrote that Shenandoah University “impressed with strong participation and thoughtful engagement.”

“As a conservation science management and biology double major, I love any opportunity to spend time outside and help the environment,” Gorman said. “Through this friendly competition amongst schools, I was able to share that passion with so many of my peers. I’d like to give special thanks as well to co-presidents Olivia Shores and Caitlynn Romance of the Environmental and Sustainability Club and everyone who participated.”

As Shenandoah’s NPT college ambassadors, Gorman and Hertenstein plan four outdoor excursions per academic year that “foster stewardship, campus connection and dedication to our local, state and national parks,” Hertenstein said.

“The Green & Clean Campus Challenge was an incredible opportunity to go above and beyond our usual, and reach more students than we can during off-campus adventures. I am excited to see our impact on campus continue to grow as more SU students learn about our mission,” Hertenstein said. “We are extremely grateful for Annaliese Wan of NPT; our faculty adviser, (Assistant Director of Outdoor and Adventure Recreation) Christine O’Neill; the SOAR program; and the SU Environmental and Sustainability Club for all their support and collaboration.”

For more information about the National Park Trust, visit parktrust.org.