Duncan Reid, environmental stewardship and sustainability assistant at Linfield College, has been named Conservation Educator of the Year by the Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District.
Reid, recognized for his work with Linfield students, earned the Frieda L. Miller Conservation Educator Award which honors an individual or organization providing conservation education to youth or adults in Yamhill County. The award is named for Frieda Miller, whose gift of Miller Woods strengthened environmental science and conservation education in Yamhill County.
“My approach has always been to put student education first,” said Reid. “We are fortunate to be able to use the campus as a living laboratory, and I am blessed with the opportunity to share my passion and expertise in sustainability with a community that is so close to my heart.”
At Linfield, Reid engages students in a variety of projects, assists faculty who seek to incorporate sustainability more fully in their courses and works with facilities personnel to keep Linfield at the forefront of sustainable practices. The position supports one of the goals of the Linfield College 2012-18 Strategic Plan, which is to extend Linfield’s commitment to environmental, social and economic sustainability.
Reid, a 2010 Linfield graduate, played an integral role in Linfield’s sustainability effort even as a student. He founded the student group Greenfield, the campus bike co-op, the student garden effort and the sustainability grant fund, among others. By the end of his first year, President Thomas Hellie appointed Reid to the Advisory Committee on the Environment and Sustainability (ACES), for which he is now the college’s point person for sustainability.
At Linfield, Reid is currently involved in sustainability projects including a Zero Waste campaign to increase recycling and composting on campus. He will also be leading a January Term course focused on local stewardship and has launched a Sustainable Agriculture Internship summer program.
