Earth Week is Here
This year the Office for Sustainability has teamed up with Associated Student Government, University Programs, and the Net Impact RSO, the Department of Landscape Architecture, and the Social Innovation Hub to bring the University of Arkansas an entire week packed with events to celebrate our community and the planet it’s on.
The week is designed as a series of events leading up to the celebration of Earth Day on April 22. Established in 1970, Earth Day is an international event celebrated in 192 countries each year to demonstrate support for environmental protection and love for the planet Earth.
At the U of A, Earth Week is a week of events, learning opportunities, and service projects that cater to people of all ages. In the words of Eric Boles, director of the Office for Sustainability, “Earth Week is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the progress we’ve made while educating our community about the challenges ahead.”
Day By Day Events
Monday the 17th
Earth Week will kick off Monday, April 17 with free watermelon and information at the Union Mall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday also marks the start of the second week of Project Clean Plate in the U of A dining halls where students from across campus pledge to reduce food waste by not taking more than they can eat. Keep an eye out for Razorback Food Recovery volunteers educating students all week long in the dining halls.
Tuesday the 18th
Tuesday, students can stop by the south terrace of the Union (the deck near the bus hub with the fireplace) for yoga with Fayettechill. In the evening, students can join ASG to “Pitch the Bottle” as they recycle in the outfield of the Razorback baseball game at Baum Stadium.
Wednesday the 19th
Wednesday at 6 p.m. Leonardo DiCaprio’s film Before the Flood will be screened at the Union Theatre, hosted by ASG and the Office for Sustainability. A screening in the fall was so popular that students were turned away, so this is another opportunity to take a look at this provoking film. Snacks will be provided.
Thursday the 20th
On Thursday, campus members can meet at 4 p.m. at the Office for Sustainability on Harmon Avenue to walk around campus and pick up trash. Food will be provided after the cleanup for all volunteers. Thursday evening, the OFS will host the Sustainability Capstone Poster Reception in the Arkansas Union Connections Lounge from 6 to 8 p.m.. Posters will be displayed all day on Wednesday and Thursday for public viewing. Come by and see what innovative sustainable projects were completed by U of A students this year.
Friday the 21st
On Friday, the U of A campus will celebrate the culmination of Earth Week with the wildly popular Earth Day Block Party on the Union Mall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This event has been a success year after year as the community, campus organizations, and local businesses come together to share a common interest in sustainability. Great activities are planned, with plenty of food, live music, more watermelon, solar cooked smores, Tropical Sno, terracotta pot painting, shirt dyeing, good people, and great conversations. If that’s not enough, there will also be some Earth Day themed prizes given away throughout the event.
Also on Friday, the Department of Landscape Architecture will be screening The Living Green documentary by Jens Jenson at noon in the Schollmeier Hall of the Fay Jones School. The film is about an hour long, and will be followed by food, refreshments, and discussion with Jens Jenson himself.
Saturday the 22nd, Earth Day
After all that, Earth Day occurs on Saturday the 22nd, with the Social Innovation Hub Changemaker Forum from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. With final presentations from student groups, this will conclude this semester’s Design Solution Challenge. Be sure to be there to see Warwick Sabin, Arkansas State Representative and Senior Director of US Programs at Winrock International give the opening remarks on the social entrepreneurship movement in Arkansas.