This summer, as most students entertain themselves with internships, the great outdoors and some well-earned rest and relaxation, two UW-Madison students will participate in the first-ever ""green"" bus tour across the United States.
In June, the Udall Legacy Bus Tour will begin a journey that will carry 13 students and recent graduates more than 8,500 miles by biodiesel motor coach in less than two months. To keep the trip carbon neutral, carbon offsets will be purchased from Native Energy, an American Indian company.
The tour, named in honor of former Arizona Congressman Morris K. Udall, will make stops at universities, cities, tribal reservations and national parks. At each stop, students will participate in national and local efforts to increase awareness about issues facing American Indian communities and environmental issues.
Recent UW-Madison graduate Julie Curti and senior Martina Gast said they are thrilled to be a part of the Legacy Bus Tour—a spot awarded to a select group of college students who study problems facing the environment and American Indians.
""[The tour] is an incredibly unique and amazing opportunity,"" Curti said in an e-mail. ""[I get] to spend a summer traveling around the country on a biodiesel bus, meeting key environmental and Native American leaders, and get [my] hands dirty while helping out with diverse public service projects.""
As the biodiesel bus makes its stops across the country, students will participate in 20 service projects, ranging from bioremediation work to treating the soil in New Orleans, La., to participating in a sustainable transportation art show in Boulder, Colo., which will promote transportation alternatives and the work of local artists.
Curti said she is also looking forward to learning more about how people across the country approach sustainability and tribal public health issues.
Gast, a tribal co-coordinator for the bus tour, also hopes to bring public attention to tribal public policy and health issues.
Over the course of the tour, students will visit several American Indian communities, where they will help develop and open a new campground on a reservation, participate in an American Indian health symposium and more.
""At a time when the country is so focused on the ‘problems' associated with the environment, [the Legacy Bus Tour] is hoping to showcase solutions that are already in place ... and the people putting these solutions into action,"" said Melissa Millage, program manager of the Morris K. Udall Foundation, in an e-mail.
""The bus tour is going to be a learning experience, not only for the people at our stops and the people following our tour, but also for the riders,"" Gast said in an e-mail. ""We are concentrating on areas of focus that not many people know about.""
""I hope to increase people's awareness of the positive work that's being done on the environment and tribal issues,"" Curti said. ""Our tour's impact will hopefully last beyond this summer by encouraging people to get involved in [their] own communities.""
While Curti is confident that students at UW-Madison care about issues facing the environment, she also said she believes ""there's always room for improvement."" She said that students can contribute to protecting the environment by getting involved with the many environmental projects on and off campus and paying attention to the ways their lifestyle choices impact the environment.
""Our bus tour is very large and ambitious in its scope, but ultimately we are highlighting and sharing what's already happening in local communities,"" Curti said. ""I hope that we will inspire more people to get involved in these efforts and to realize that they can make a difference right at home.""
