CSUMB students partner with students in Mexico on beach/canyon clean-up
CSUMB students brought family members and friends to help clean up Del Monte Beach in Monterey, CA.
October 2021 – As part of the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Program promoted by CSUMB, students from the Sustainable Hospitality Management Program partnered with the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG) in Mexico to create a sustainability awareness project. Students in the HOSP 300 class at CSUMB decided on a beach clean-up at Del Monte Beach in Seaside, California. Students at UAG did their clean-up at the Canyon of the Spring in Guadalajara, Mexico. Both clean-ups took place in October.
“I was really proud of the students for taking the initiative to organize this. From sourcing the necessary equipment to contacting the Monterey County Health Department to promoting the event, the students were able to make something nice happen for the community,” said Professor Roberta Atzori. The students were supported by the Hospitality Club and were really happy with the outcome. Clean-up team members enthusiastically agreed on the importance of protecting and caring for the natural resources and the environment relied upon by community residents and visitors.
The HOSP 300 class, “Issues & Ethics in Sustainable Hospitality Management,” is part of the Bachelor of Science Sustainable Hospitality Management (BSSHM) degree program at CSUMB. The “Management Skills in Tourism Businesses” (Habilidades Gerenciales en Empresas Turísticas) class at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG) in Mexico teaches similar principles, offering a perfect opportunity to collaborate on the design of a project aimed at showcasing student leadership in creating sustainability awareness in their respective communities.
The students, led by their respective professors, chose to focus on two iconic locations near their campuses. The canyon clean-up organized by UAG took place on October 12th at Barranca de Huentitán, a canyon carved by the Río Grande de Santiago in Mexico in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area. The canyon, whose structure makes it a smaller scale version of the Grand Canyon in the U.S., is a very popular hiking spot for the local community. The beach clean-up organized by the HOSP 300 class took place on Thursday, October 28th at Del Monte Beach in Monterey. The HOSP 300 students, led by Assistant Professor Dr. Roberta Atzori, sourced all the equipment needed, such as grabbers, buckets, biodegradable gloves, and biodegradable bags to sustainably conduct the clean-up.
CSUMB Hospitality Club Officers, BSSHM Faculty and Staff team, and the College of Business Marketing team enthusiastically endorsed the project and helped create awareness around the event on the campus and in the community. Students from other classes in the BSSHM program and even several family members and friends took part. The event had a great turnout with over 30 people working together, donating their time for this cause.
The goal of the clean-up project event was to raise awareness on campus and internationally on the importance of taking care of the local area's most important natural attractions, such as beaches and canyons, for the enjoyment of residents and tourists alike.
This is one of the many initiatives that the B.S. Sustainable Hospitality Management program carries out to highlight the importance of sustainability in hospitality and tourism within the campus community and beyond. Terry Mirande, College of Business student and official photographer for the Hospitality Club, joined the event and documented the clean-up through professional photos and videos that showed the BSSHM program’s commitment to sustainability. The students of the HOSP 300 class showed leadership within the campus and the community, and this collaborative effort increased their motivation to create a positive impact on people and on the planet by fostering the growth of responsible tourism and hospitality.
“The beach clean-up was a fun and exciting opportunity for me to practice sustainable efforts and learn about how we impact the world around us,” said Carson Meachim. “The beach and canyon clean-up partnership with UAG in Mexico allowed us to create relationships with like-minded individuals and help the planet together,” echoed Marina Melgar. Both Carson and Marina are BSSHM students in the HOSP 300 class.
After the success of this first clean-up event, the BSSHM program plans to make this a regular occurrence, with clean-up events organized every semester aimed at engaging students from across the CSUMB campus as well as community members.
Learn more about the B.S. Sustainable Hospitality Management degree program at CSUMB!
