Author: Jason Luo ’25
The Harms of Pesticides
In a rapidly changing world zeroed-in on combating climate change, it’s easy to overlook the plethora of other ways to help the environment thrive. Eliminating pesticide use is one such challenge that has a wide range of potential benefits for biodiversity, health, and environmental justice. Pesticides are harmful in many ways: they’ve been linked to problems like cancer and developmental issues, are toxic to a variety of organisms, and their use disproportionately burdens low-income communities. Pesticides are also produced from petroleum, meaning they require the burning of fossil fuels, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
The Visions and Goals of Re:wild Princeton
When graduating senior Adira Smirnov ’23 approached Zach Ducorsky ’26, a physics major, to helm a new campus group, Ducorsky knew he couldn’t pass up the opportunity. He wanted to be a part of an organization seeking to make a direct impact on the environment, and Re:wild was the perfect vessel. Re:wild Princeton is an up-and-coming group that seeks to increase biodiversity and preserve native species on campus. The burgeoning group Ducorsky leads is just one chapter of the larger global nonprofit organization that’s been fighting to rewild the planet for the past 35 years. One of Re:wild’s focuses is to partner with universities to raise awareness about the dangers of pesticides at a local and community level.
At Princeton, Ducorsky and the Re:wild team’s goals are twofold. The first is to lead rewilding projects around campus. That means finding ways to increase biodiversity and preserve native species that inhabit our green spaces. The second goal is to create more transparency regarding pesticide use on campus. Re:wild hopes to aid groundskeepers in transitioning away from traditional pesticide spraying, moving instead towards organic land care methods, which encompass a variety of natural strategies that exclude any synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.
Getting Involved
In the meantime, Re:wild is working to set up meetings with the Office of Sustainability and campus groundskeepers. They’re also planning proposals for specific projects like workshops about pesticides and garden care. Re:wild Princeton is in the process of becoming an official ODUS campus organization. Anyone interested in learning more can join the GroupMe or email Ducorsky at zd0134@princeton.edu. This past year, the group met each Saturday afternoon at Frist 206.
Citations:
Re:Wild – biodiversity is the solution. rewild.org. (n.d.). https://www.rewild.org/
Re:Wild your campus. (n.d.). https://www.rewildyourcampus.org/