The AU Biophilia Club was started in 2021 by students who wanted to fill the gap of nature appreciation and provide environmental resources for people on campus by forming a community of like-minded people who enjoyed the great outdoors as much as they do. The club now has around 68 members.
The word biophilia is focused on the enjoyment of nature. The AU Biophilia Club’s mission statement is to spread the love of nature and God’s creations to other people in a way that is very open and loving. The club wants to be a community of people who enjoy going outside and exploring God’s unique nature.
Megan Kim (junior, biochemistry) is the current president of the AU Biophilia Club and has held the position for the past two years. She was attracted to the club because she really enjoys going on hikes and spending time outdoors. She shares, “I was looking for activities to do and also to meet other people. I saw the club and I thought, ‘I could get behind it.’”
At first, Kim was originally going to try and become the club’s secretary, but when certain circumstances arose, she was promoted to president. Over the years, she has enjoyed being a part of the club’s team of officers. “I wanted to get more involved with the club because the people in charge were so sweet, and they had such a warm atmosphere around them,” Kim says.
Of all the fun activities that the AU Biophilia Club has done, Kim has enjoyed the nature walk events the most. She enjoys walking around campus and chatting with people she doesn’t normally interact with on a regular basis. Kim shares, “I think a lot of times as students, we neglect spending some time outdoors or in nature, and I think every time I go on one of the nature walks, I come back feeling ready to tackle the week, or I just feel a little bit more refreshed.”
In the past, the AU Biophilia Club has visited the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and collaborated with the physics department to do a stargazing vespers event. The club also plans a lot of activities in the greenhouse observatory. Due to weather issues like lots of rain and cold temperatures this semester, the club was not able to plan many outdoor activities, but the club officers are hoping to push them to the spring semester lineup.
Recently, the club put on its first event of the year. Members met at the greenhouse observatory above the Science Complex to get together and make pressed flower bookmarks. “Pressed flowers are a great way to decorate your room. I think it's a thing that people don't really think of doing in the first place,” Kim shares.
Although the AU Biophilia Club isn’t as large as some of the other clubs on campus, it is still a club that impacts the Andrews campus as a whole. “We provide little bubbles of culture that people can enter into and sort of enhance their special, respective personalities in a way,” Kim says. “Being in the club is a way to refresh yourself because we forget to do that sometimes.” She adds, “I think as a club, we are able to teach people how to do things they never even thought of that aren't even that hard, and that can help you enjoy nature more and also spread some environmental awareness.”
If someone would like to join the AU Biophilia Club, they can email the club at biophilia.au@gmail.com or check out and follow the club’s Instagram page @aubiophilia. They can also contact Megan Kim through the Instagram account. If new members or current members have any ideas about events, Kim urges people to contact her about fun activities they have in mind. “We're always open to new ideas, and honestly, I love it when members want to get more involved.”
Kim believes everyone should join the AU Biophilia club. She shares, “I think Biophilia is a really healthy club in multiple ways. It has a really healthy culture. Everybody there is always so sweet and so warm. So if anyone's looking for a community like that, they should definitely join Biophilia.”
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.