In “What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures,” marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson suggests that the action someone takes to support the climate should fit between a Venn diagram of the queries “What brings you joy?” ”What are you good at?” and “What work needs doing?” 

Living at the center of this philosophy is Reed Beck ’24, a curious and dedicated environmental studies student at Dickinson College. 

“My overall future goal is working on making our engineered environments more sustainable and more conducive to human life in accordance with environmental health,” shared Reed. “I think it's important, but I also gain joy from it.”

His background in native plant knowledge was fostered in a part-time job at Kind Earth Growers, a plant nursery in Ottsville, Pennsylvania, where owner John Courtney served as a mentor to him. At George School, he was able to hone in on that knowledge with courses that covered topics of environmental science and botany taught by science teachers Bob Fest, Pascal Lansciano and Becky Hutchins.

As a George School student, he was also able to witness the professional side of the industry. “When the Green Initiative Project came around, I thought it was a no-brainer that I should go in with a vision to improve campus, and hope that I could leave something at George School that would last.”

Reed was named the winner of the Green Initiative Contest in 2024 for his proposal to build a native bioswale on campus that supports storm water drainage and soil retention. Working alongside the Physical Plant team, Reed and his friends planted over 935 native plants (sourced from his friends at Kind Earth Growers) on campus, providing food and shelter for wildlife, stormwater runoff management and enhanced campus beauty. 

“It was a super fun experience, and it also prepared me for the work I'm doing now at Dickinson College,” said Reed. 

Similar to his experience at George School, Reed entered college ready to leave a lasting, tangible legacy on campus. He quickly grew involved in the Center of Sustainability Education, and now serves as their biking intern at their campus bike shop. Reed runs the shop with a co-intern, managing long-term and daily bike rentals, assisting in repairing and teaching repair skills and helping to host other events of the center. Bikes, being both a sustainable and active transportation method, serve as a great access point for students to become involved in climate action.

“The shop operates on a teaching basis, so we don't accept payment,” said Reed. “It’s not like you give us your bike and we fix it for you; you come in and you learn how to fix your bike, and you leave with the knowledge for the future.”

The implementation and education of sustainable practices does not stop with bikes. Reed hopes to start new initiatives at Dickinson, including workshops that teach students basic mechanical skills like oil changes, drywall maintenance and other hands-on challenges, offering a link between facilities staff members and students.

This summer, he will apply his passion and studies at Turner Construction Company, where he will be immersed in managing sustainable construction– specifically, for university buildings, which builds upon his experience shadowing teams at George School and Dickinson. 

Reed encourages others to look for the joy in incorporating sustainable practices into our lives, reminding us it may not be as strenuous as it’s often made out to be. “Find what interests you, and then see how that connects to sustainability or connects to a better future,” he said. “Sustainability has so many sub-pockets of economic, social and environmental elements that need flourishing for this generation and future generations … and I think it's fun, too!”