This past Saturday, people around the world celebrated Earth Day. Here at ԱƵ, April 22 marked the final day of the 13 Days of Green.
From April 10-22, the Sustainability Office sponsored a variety of green-themed activities and events. The 13 Days of Green began with a hugely successful kick-off festival on the academic quad. Various clubs, departments, and students came out to celebrate sustainability at ԱƵ while enjoying free food and beautiful weather.
The festivities continued with the 13 Days of Green’s hallmark event. The 17th annual Green Summit featured three speakers: Chef Lateef, Madison Smith ’19, and Simon Solomon of the Roger Environmental Education Center. The speakers discussed the theme of “sustainability, community & you” and left the audience to consider their impact on both the ԱƵ and global communities.
Following the Green Summit, Oak Awards were presented to three members of the ԱƵ community who have worked hard to promote sustainability. Student, faculty, and staff awards were presented to Glenna Thomas, Andy Pattison, and Karen Austin.
Midway through the 13 Days of Green, the Sustainability Office hosted a clothing swap in which students could donate clothes they no longer wanted and pick up other donated clothes to keep for themselves. The clothing swap enabled students to acquire new clothes in a more sustainable way as well as become more engaged in community events.
The 13 Days were further enhanced by multiple panel discussions and ENST brown bags, including “Why We Know What to Do and Still Fail to Protect the Environment,” “Tweaks, Nudges & Disruptions: How Innovation Can Help Solve Environmental Issues,” “Sustainability & Climate Action Planning with Local Partners,” and “Climate Action under the Trump Administration: Sociological Perspectives.”
During the finals days of 13 Days of Green, a zero-waste barbeque and zero-waste brunch were held in order to celebrate Earth Day (and/or SPW).
Overall, the 13 Days of Green successfully increased awareness of sustainability at ԱƵ and helped students engage in a sustainable lifestyle. Although the 13 Days of Green are over, we hope the ԱƵ community continues to treat every day like it’s Earth Day!