Sue Hayduk- Sustainability Coordinator

Hi I am Sue Hayduk, and I’m excited to be working in RRC’s Sustainability Office.

Somehow – I think – sustainability has always been inherent to me. My mom was frugal and “reuse and recycle” were part of our everyday household; my dad was an avid outdoorsman and I grew up knowing the value of healthy land, clean air and clean water; and I grew up in Winnipeg’s North End, a mix of people, cultures, languages, foods and traditions, a vibrant reminder of my roots and where I chose to live today. So this is where it all started for me this path of being where I am now as Sustainability Coordinator.

I am also an avid baker, someone who loves science, likes being creative and experimenting with things; which is why when asked what sustainability means to me, I often think of the perfect recipe, one that has the right balance of ingredients and is mixed in just the right way to get something that tastes great! My sustainability recipe looks something like this: 1 tsp. of environmental education and environmental science, 2 cups of relationship building and partnerships and a few sprinkles of creativity and “stickiness”. These key ingredients, when mixed together, can create positive environmental and social change.

You should know that until last summer, I lived in Calgary for the past 20 years, where I worked as an environmental specialist at the City with a team that was charged with reducing Calgary’s Ecological Footprint – no small task in one of Canada’s largest and fastest growing cities.  What I liked about the eco-footprint work is that anyone could calculate their footprint, you could see how your individual actions impact the environment, and what options you could take to improve or reduce your footprint. Calculate your footprint!

Prior to that work, I spent 8 years in the non-profit sector as an environmental educator and manager of the Cross Conservation Area, a large nature preserve just outside of Calgary, most similar to FortWhyte Alive.  There I spent a lot of time outdoors, developing habit conservation programs, taking groups on nature walks, educating the public and school groups about conservation and managing a whole lot of volunteers

So in short there are many experiences and crossroads that have shaped my career and brought me here to Red River College. I am very excited to start this next leg of my sustainability journey here. My door is always open, feel free to visit or call me anytime in C5-15, or at (204) 632-2144.