Environmentally Friendly Living Brad DeFrees

We have all come to ESF for similar reasons. It is safe to say that one common goal for us all is to make the earth a better place by improving our environment. Everyone has different ideas and opinions of how and why this should be done, but how many of us are actually acting upon our ideas and living in a sustainable manner? Shouldn’t we all practice and live what we are learning and what we are hoping for others to do?

Starting next school year, 821 Comstock Ave. will become the EcoHouse, housing five ESF students with a passion for sharing and creating environmentally friendly ideas and practices with themselves and the community. The EcoHouse idea was born this year from the collaborated efforts of ESF Professor Robert Meyer, SU Lutheran Chaplain Gail Riina, the house’s landlord, and the students currently residing in house. This year will serve as the planning year for the EcoHouse, to lay down the foundations of the project. The ESF students living in the house meet biweekly with the professor and the chaplain to plan and share ideas.

The main goal of the EcoHouse is to get the community more active in what they can do to help the environment and how they can live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. The EcoHouse hopes to grow to a size greater than just one house. This is an opportunity that every ESF household should take advantage of. 

We are actively developing ideas to implement within our house for the project. We encourage others with an interest in an eco-friendly lifestyle to work with us so we can expand the project to the ESF/SU community and beyond.

For more information on the EcoHouse or to receive an application to live at the EcoHouse next school year, please contact either Chaplain Riina at Hendricks Chapel or Dr. Meyer at Construction Management and Wood Products Engineering, Baker 222, ESF. If you would like a tour of the house and surrounding property, contact Brad DeFrees by email: badefree[at]syr.edu.