In a flurry of events, workshops and email blasts this week, Fort Lewis College’s Environmental Center hopes to bring issues like alternative transportation, local food and waste creation to the forefront of students’ minds.

The center’s work is part of No Impact Week, a seven-day effort to promote actions that reduce people’s impact on the environment, further social equity and lead to greater happiness, said Rachel Landis, the environmental center’s program assistant. It’s the first time the college has participated in the week, which is the work of the No Impact Project, a national nonprofit.

Beginning Monday, each day has had a different focus, such as energy, water or waste, and has featured activities around that theme. There were bicycle tune ups on transportation day, a trash-themed fashion show on waste day and an orchard trimming workshop on Thursday, the food-centered day. Today, the nonprofit Groundwork Colorado will be doing energy audits in campus dorm rooms.

Many of the events were produced through collaborations with other groups on campus such as the biodiesel club.

Throughout the week, students also were encouraged to sign up for an online no-impact experiment. Participants were sent daily challenges to reduce their impact, along with different ways to accomplish that challenge.

So far, about 100 students signed up for the online experiment and about 200 students have participated in on-campus events, Landis said.

ecowan@durangoherald.com