When Emma Hutson was a little girl, music and theater were a huge part of her life; in fact, she often dreamed about a future as an opera singer or actress. But, as Emma puts it, she eventually realized that she needed a bit more “talent” to enjoy a successful career in the performing arts. So, she decided instead to combine her passion for the Earth with a deep-rooted desire to teach others.

“My commitment to protect the Earth started after watching an impactful Netflix documentary on sustainability,” said Emma. “It was both inspiring and heartbreaking.”

After viewing that video, the concept of sustainability—the capacity for current generations to meet their own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs—became the cornerstone of Emma’s personal and professional focus. Emma’s pledge to reduce her impact on the environment and become a better steward of existing resources to support sustainability altered her life’s path.

“Overnight, I decided to make changes to my diet and lifestyle that would allow me to accurately reflect my values,” recalled Emma. “I do believe that making those changes was inevitable and, ultimately, just an extension of what I was taught when I was growing up: to care for others and the world around me.”

A Loyola University graduate with a degree in Environmental Policy and a minor in Bioethics, Emma was applying for jobs when she was immediately drawn to the Minnesota GreenCorps program.

Minnesota GreenCorps is an AmeriCorps program administered and funded through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and continues the long tradition of AmeriCorps volunteers dedicating their time to essential service to education, public safety, health and the environment. The goal of the Minnesota GreenCorps program is to preserve and protect the environment of Minnesota while training the next cohort of environmental professionals.

Emma, who recently began an 11-month Minnesota GreenCorps service term at MDVA, expressed her respect for the agency’s many sustainability initiatives to conserve natural, technology and financial resources as they relate to energy, water, fleet, solid waste and greenhouse gas consumption. These include, but are not limited to:

• Consistently decreasing the presence of disposable cups, plates and plastic utensils across the system. Our Veterans Homes use reusable dishware, flatware, and serviceware, which is excellent for waste reduction and saving money.
• Shifting education training from in-person to virtual platforms, eliminating all associated travel costs.
• Replacing vehicles at the end of their life with more efficient hybrid models, which improves fuel economy, reduces fuel consumption, and burns less fuel resulting in fewer emissions.
• Installing LED lighting at all State Veterans Home campuses.
• Initiating storm water reuse at the Duluth State Veterans Cemetery.

“I’ve also been really excited to learn about the roll-out of the PointClickCare software that will not only reduce the amount of food potentially wasted at the Veterans Homes but will also benefit overall (Resident) satisfaction,” Emma shared. “I feel like this program aligns perfectly with MDVA’s interest in agency-wide sustainability, and above all else, helps provide excellent care to those who have served.”

One of Emma’s current priority projects with Caroline McFadden, Sustainability Coordinator, is completing waste sorts at the State Veterans Homes and Cemeteries. These sorts organize waste by type in order to facilitate its proper treatment (whether it’s recycled, composted, used in energy production, or placed in landfills). “This will give us valuable information and baseline data to guide our work on waste reduction and diversion,” said Emma.

“So far, we’ve completed sorts at Minneapolis, Fergus Falls, and Hastings; they have all been interesting, but also just a bit smelly.” According to Emma, waste sorts are viewed as a “right of passage” in the world of sustainability, so she’s glad that she has the opportunity to do them at MDVA.

While employees may be seeing many sustainability efforts at the office, Emma noted there are also a number of simple things people can do at home to conserve resources such as:

• Carrying reusable bags for grocery shopping, even smaller ones to hold produce, now that many stores are once again allowing their use following the height of the COVDID-19 pandemic.
• Participating in an organics recycling program in your home city. Emma reports there’s an immense amount of food waste that goes to the landfill, producing harmful greenhouse gases, so diverting organics to the compost is an option to reduce your environmental footprint.
• Getting involved in the Windsource program through Xcel Energy, which allows individuals to receive some of their energy at home from wind power. This is an easy, cost-effective way to support renewable energy without having to make a significant investment in solar panels.

Caroline shared that Emma’s presence has added energy and bandwidth to the Sustainability Program in a variety of ways, from successfully recruiting fellow GreenCorps members to assist with waste sorts to presenting at meetings and developing training materials. “I’m excited for Emma to start looking upstream from what’s in the trash or recycling bins to seeing if there are more sustainable alternatives to the products that are currently being purchased as well as continuing to identify waste prevention and reduction strategies,” said Caroline. “She’s a wonderful communicator, so staff and Residents will benefit from her findings and passion.”

Through her sustainability work, Emma hopes to build relationships with as many staff members as possible, equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to take sustainable actions at work and home. “MDVA is already making positive changes for the environment; I look forward to being a part of that journey so we can create a brighter future for the generations to come.”

At the end of her MDVA assignment, Emma is considering graduate school. Her long-term dream job? Being a sustainability coordinator for a city government.