January 2025

Each month, the Office of Sustainability will feature members of the University of Florida community who are making a sustainable impact daily. Keep reading to meet our featured student for January!

Meet Zoe Richter

Zoe Richter is a senior Environmental Science major with a minor in International Studies in Agricultural and Life Sciences and a minor in German. She is from Orlando, Florida. 

Zoe is highly interested in environmental protection law and environmental law. Her career goal is to work in public interest law with a focus on conservation and/or sustainable agriculture! 

Staying Active in Student Government 

Zoe’s largest sustainability role at UF has been through student government. She started as one of two student senators for CALS in the 2023-2024 term. 

As a student senator, she founded the Green Caucus, which focused on championing sustainable legislation and community service. She also worked to write a bill about phosphogypsum mining and storage in collaboration with a local environmental action group. This academic year, she serves on UF’s Sustainability Committee as a student representative. 

Through student government, Zoe says her biggest achievement was creating conversations to educate others about environmental issues and their impact on students. 

Her momentum is still going strong – she has student government projects underway that she hopes will be implemented by graduation! 

Find the Space to Explore

When it comes to involvement, Zoe’s got more to share. 

Zoe is also a liaison for the School of Natural Resources and the Environment and is the treasurer for a new student organization called Plant Futures UF (check it out!). 

Additionally, Zoe interned at Bio-Tech Consulting in Orlando. This internship taught her a lot about environmental regulation and implementation. Although environmental consulting isn’t her ultimate career goal, it gave her important practical experience and it was fun for her to work outside every day! Let her outlook be a reminder that a variety of experiences can and should shape your future.

Last but certainly not least, Zoe participated in an exchange semester in Mannheim, Germany during her junior year. It had a profound impact. 

She enrolled in law courses in Germany because the different academic structure there allowed for it. This opportunity helped her realize her true passion and interest was in environmental law. “Everyone should study abroad and take classes in a different university since you get so many opportunities that may only exist there.”

Choosing Sustainability As A Student 

Back at UF, Zoe’s unique favorite courses include: 

• Agricultural Risk Management and Law (AEB 4085)
• Environmental Science 1 & 2 
• Local Flora of North Florida
• Wildlife of Florida (WIS 3402)

She shares, “I really recommend taking any class with a lab component… It makes learning about the environment a lot more impactful when you are immersed in it rather than watching through a computer screen!”

After you consider Zoe’s academic suggestions, take a moment to contemplate your online shopping habits. Zoe explains that buying less is one of the easiest ways to practice sustainability as a college student. 

“I try not to get swayed by the internet into buying little trinkets or clothes I don’t need, which is great for your bank account AND the Earth.” 

She also reminds fellow Gators that it’s easy to choose public transportation or walk to get to class or the grocery store. This is a low-lift choice when it comes to reducing both traffic and your carbon footprint. 

Another simple daily sustainability idea is to bring a reusable cup when going out for coffee – Zoe says, “I’ve saved a lot of plastic cups from going into a landfill and you usually get a discount for bringing a cup!”

Choosing sustainability at UF is easier than you might expect – take a page from Zoe’s book and try it for yourself! 

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Submit your recommendation for a student, faculty, or staff member to be featured in a future Green Gator of the Month article!