Alena Ruckh, Sustainability Student
I am a Sustainability Studies major with minors in Creative Writing & Journalism and Environmental Science at Muhlenberg College. I am from Huntingdon Valley, PA, in the suburbs of Philadelphia. On campus I am active with enACT as a board member, with Plant Based Advocates as Vice President, and I am also involved in a number of music ensembles as a flutist and jazz vocalist. I’m very passionate about nature, specifically plants, and for that reason, I am very interested in sustainable horticulture. I love to spend time outside, as I always feel at my best when I am connecting with nature in some way! You can often find me hiking, tending to my plants, making music, writing poetry, and riding my bike.
I have been passionate about the environment since I was little, and I believe that’s what initially led me to pursue my areas of study. As a child, my parents would take me on hikes and to nature centers, and I would frequently play in our wooded backyard and accompany my mom in the garden. I was the type of kid to never hesitate to pick up an insect or worm, and my pockets were often filled with leaves, wildflowers, and acorns. I would even read the Pennsylvania backyard bird guide for fun! Into adulthood my passions persisted in other ways as well. I have worked at a small vegan restaurant in Hatboro, Pennsylvania for nearly 5 years, and am vegan myself, which led to an increased interest in food sustainability. Through Plant Based Advocates at Muhlenberg, I have worked side by side with peers and dining hall employees to implement more plant based options within the Wood Dining Commons. I have also developed a passion for sustainable fashion through shopping secondhand, which not only serves as a way to find unique clothing, but also helps to combat fast fashion and clothing consumerism!
When I can, I like to incorporate my passion for writing into my studies of environmental and sustainability. Last semester, for an Environmental Journalism class, I wrote an article for the Allentown Voice on PFAS water contamination in my hometown, and last spring I worked on a group project – in the format of a written webpage – about fast fashion pollution in Ghana. Writing about environmental topics is important to me, as it allows for crucial and potentially enlightening information to be made accessible. If the importance of sustainable living and environmental advocacy is not properly communicated, then it would be near impossible to implement large scale improvements. Incorporating sustainable practices into our everyday lives is something I advocate for, in hopes that small scale change can lead to eventual large scale societal change! For this project, I thought that researching sustainability in Philadelphia would be meaningful and informative to me, as I’ve grown up just outside of Philadelphia my whole life. I’m hoping that researching problems along with existing and potential solutions in the region will provide insight into what the city may need moving forward to become more sustainable, improving the quality of life for Philadelphia residents.
