TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — Troy’s Campus Learning Center played host for an event to teach students about environmental conservation, with a creative twist. 

As an option for an Atlas Event for freshman Troy 1101, Crafts and Conservation allowed students to paint custom designs on oyster shells while learning about ocean conservation practices. 

“If I ever have kids, I want them to experience the world that I have gotten to experience,” said the event organizer, Keely Johnson, a senior Marine Biology senior from Geneva, Alabama. “Getting to teach people about oyster reef restoration or restoration or conservation in general, it kind of builds that field up so it creates opportunities for future generations. 

“Maybe they get to experience a world that we didn’t even get to.” 

Johnson said that she figured the best way to shape that world for future generations is to introduce it to as many students as she can. 

“Conservation starts with public outreach; the public needs to be involved for conservation to really work, and it’s only really been around for about 80 years, I believe,” Johnson said. “A lot of the damage we’ve done to the Earth, we are not actively trying to repair.” 

When it comes to public outreach and connecting with as many students as possible, Atlas events are a great way to reach them. In students’ Troy 1101 classes, they are given a list of events on campus that they can attend to receive class credit, and they get to choose a specific amount to attend before the end of the semester. 

CAMPUS COVERAGE: Anthropology Club puts forensics on screen

“The Atlas events are very intentionally created to promote a love of learning and an interest in learning different topics; really building that repertoire of interest,” said Rebecca Money-Normans, the director of the Troy Campus Learning Center. “That’s why they’re here in higher education.” 

She said that she appreciates being able to spread awareness for something so important with Atlas events. 

“When I think about conservation, I think about resources,” Money-Normans said. “It is so important for us to appropriately and responsibly utilize resources and just to really understand that everything in our biome has its purpose and function. 

“We need to learn how to best reserve and preserve our resources and then use them appropriately.” 

For one of the students in attendance, McKinley Dillehay, a freshman elementary education major from Bretton, Alabama, said that the event drew her eye on the list because it was an issue that pulled on her heart strings. 

“Just to keep the Earth healthy, I think all of the conservation and stuff is really important,” Dillehay said. “If this all went away, I wouldn’t feel good at all because I feel like we’re blessed to have this Earth and people that care about keeping it healthy.” 

The Troy Campus Learning Center is located in room 126 of Eldridge Hall. The services they provide include:

• Free tutoring
• Study group opportunities
• Classroom skills training

You can find their hours of operation here.