Stewarding God's Creation

Robert Lund has been studying the environment his whole life without knowing it. He spent his childhood “poking around in the dirt” of Southern Minnesota. He also grew up hearing about Dordt, so when time came to enroll in college, a degree in Environmental Science at Dordt felt like a natural next step. Pursuing a major that would let him explore God’s creation even more was a simple choice.

In a unique blend of vocational skill and theological fulfillment, environmental science focuses on stewardship and conservation. “Christian Stewardship is what every class is trying to teach,” Lund says.

Lund’s favorite class was Avian Biology, which Lund and his friends call “the bird class.” Advanced biology complemented with nuanced examination of current problems was a winning formula for Lund. It helped that he took this class with three of his best friends.

Studying environmental science at Dordt has built and refined Lund’s passion for green and growing things. More than that, it has refined his passion for loving others through stewardship.

He still gets to be outside—a typical environmental science lab lets him roam through Dordt’s Prairie or visit local nature spots— but he’s also learning about how to love others through stewarding the environment. “Genesis 2:15 calls us to work and keep the garden, which is extended to creation,” Lund says. “The technical words are stewardship terms of preserving and using His creation in a fitting way, with respect and love.”

The emphasis on stewardship channels Lund’s love for others. To him, creation care doesn’t revolve around power or money, but around the people who are affected by misuse of Creation. “It's the people who are being affected,” Lund adds.

When he looks to his future career, Lund finds motivation in educating the people who will be directly affected by their environment. He wants to prevent negative harm, where he can. “Everyone thinks that the world around them doesn't affect them,” Lund says. “I learned, or relearned, that it's very direct. In fire prone areas, you have to manage dry grass to prevent possible fires. Or people in large cities may be at risk for lung cancer because of poor air quality.”

Lund has involved himself in numerous activities on campus. He’s participated in the Theatre Department since his freshman year. With several of his friends, he helped kickstart Dordt’s Zoology Club, and he has also been a teaching assistant for Dr. Robert De Haan’s environmental classes for two years.

“He's energetic, enthusiastic, he’s very capable,” says De Haan. “He's one of those students who does a very good job, but he doesn't get stuck on things.”

Dr. De Haan has mentored Lund for four years and has watched him grow from an unsure freshman into a man passionate about making a difference in the world God has made. “The environmental studies program is particularly designed to encourage students in the direction of having a healthy desire to make a difference,” De Haan says. “Robert would definitely be an example of a student engaging in that.”

Lund's relationship with professors like De Haan have made a big impact on his experience at Dordt. At Dordt, “professors are involved with us as people, not just a student or an enrollment number,” he says. To Lund, that has made his time at Dordt wonderful.