Meet October's featured coordinator: Vicky Baker, Project Manager, UBC Asian Studies Department
Weaving environmental stewardship into her daily responsibilities has been an important part of Vicky Baker’s journey at UBC. Her first role at UBC was in the Department of Geography, focusing on biodiversity conservation. Although her primary position has since shifted to managing a research project on Buddhism and East Asian religions, her commitment to sustainability has remained a constant driving force.
“I was keen to stay involved in that area of work because I do think it's so important,” Baker reflects on her motivation to join the Sustainability Coordinators program.
“Obviously we're in a crisis right now and I feel like we have to do whatever we can to try to minimize the negative impacts. And so, I'm happy that there was this outlet for people like me who are not working in sustainability jobs to still be involved with it.”
As a Sustainability Coordinator, Baker is deeply involved in a range of initiatives aimed at fostering environmental responsibility within her department. She chairs the department’s Sustainability Committee and leads various projects funded by the Workplace Sustainability Fund. These projects are designed not only to reduce environmental impact but also to build community and connection.
“We've done an eco-footprint project and an eco-challenge [which involved a] month long of eco activities for the Asian Studies community,” Baker says. “And right now, we're embarking on one that's called an eco-skills project.” This initiative includes workshops on diverse topics such as mushroom identification, which ties into biodiversity and food sustainability, and basket weaving, which connects to circular economy principles and waste management.
Baker’s efforts are focused on embedding sustainability into everyday practices and helping others see how their roles can contribute to these goals. “I feel like a lot of the work that I'm doing is to try to help embed this work in the university and in other people's roles,” she explains.
The Sustainability Coordinator Program has been an important support system for Baker’s work. She shared how the program enabled her to connect and share information and resources with other SC’s across UBC.
Baker aspires to create a lasting impact both in terms of reducing emissions and fostering a deeper connection to nature.
“I hope to help our unit explore how we can both reduce our emissions and our impact and also, hopefully, have a positive impact on people's relationships with nature.”