LSU Student Group Celebrates Earth Day with Recycling Drive

By Annabelle Lang

April 22, 2023

Cheyenne in front of her art display

Cheyenne Autin, senior studying environmental management systems at LSU, organized a recycling drive and art display, providing students with the opportunity to contribute to their cause.

– Photo by Annabelle Lang, LSU College of Agriculture

Cheyenne Autin, senior studying environmental management systems at LSU, founded Geaux Planet, a student organization group geared toward climate activism and supporting campus sustainability. This semester, Geaux Planet organized a recycling drive and art display, providing students with the opportunity to contribute to their cause.

"Most Baton Rouge apartment complexes do not offer recycling options, so we wanted to give students an opportunity to come and bring the recyclable material and contribute to our art display," Autin said.

Autin collaborated with an LSU Art and Design student to develop the art display. The art display features a tree made entirely of recyclable material, such as bottles and cans, that students brought in. The tree is adorned with beads repurposed from St. Patrick's Day and Mardi Gras, which are used to create a leaf-like effect on the tree.

"What we were trying to do with this piece is show people that we can make something beautiful out of items that are deemed useless," Autin said. "We want to encourage people to think about the impact of their actions on the environment and make changes in their daily lives to protect our planet."

According to Autin, this art display shows the impact that cultural celebrations, such as Mardi Gras, can have on the environment. Autin challenges her fellow Tigers to not only care for the planet on Earth Day but every day of the year.

"When it comes to sustainability, small actions can have a big impact," Autin said. "I hope that this event inspires others to take action and make positive changes in their communities."

In addition to Geaux Planet, Autin is involved with Air and Waste Management Association and Geaux Green. Each of these organizations has given Autin the opportunity to grow campus sustainability through educational events.

“ Invest in our planet and Geaux Tigers. ”

Learn more about majoring in environmental management systems. For more information on Geaux Planet and its initiatives, please visit TigerLink.