UW Earth Month

Celebrate Our Earth All Month Long

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Snow-capped mountains. Lush emerald forests. Magnificent blue waters. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we are reminded every day of how enchanting this Earth can be.

Let’s show our appreciation for our precious planet on Earth Day, April 22, while also helping raise awareness of its increasing fragility and pledging to do our part to protect it.

And because one day doesn’t seem to be enough, we are celebrating all of April as Earth Month! We hope that each month of the year will soon become Earth Month.

There are so many events and activities happening around campus in April! Here are some of them:

April 1-22

The UW Combined Fund Drive is once again partnering with EarthShare Washington to celebrate Earth Day with their with third annual Earth Day Challenge. Faculty, staff, students, and friends are all invited to participate in one of the following ways:

  • Track your conservation volunteer hours

Choose a conservation-related volunteer project or create your own and then track your hours. Each volunteer hour counts as a $10 donation towards UW’s goal! April 10-16 is National Volunteer Week, so the Earth Day Challenge is a great way to get involved.

  • Make a pledge to change one thing

Make a pledge about something you want to do this year to help the planet (ride your bike to work, plant a tree, etc.). Create a post on Twitter, Instagram, or Vine. Share a picture or link a Vine that shows us what you’re up to using #EarthDayChallenge. Your video/photo will also be posted on UWCFD social media sites.

  • Make a donation

Donate to any of the 21 organizations working to protect the environment or choose to support EarthShare Washington and your donation will be divided among the participating organizations.

April 13

Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story

Alder Hall Auditorium, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Could you survive on discarded food for six months? Find out what two filmmakers discovered when they did just that in order to bring attention to the astounding amount of food North America throws away. The Whole U is collaborating with UW Housing & Food Services and UW Recycling to present a screening of the award-winning documentary, “Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story.” Stick around after the screening to share your thoughts during an informal discussion. Light refreshments will be served — but not wasted! Register here.

April 14

UW Sustainability Green Bag with David Sundine

Herbold Innovation Lab, Dempsey Hall 211, 11 a.m. – noon

David Sundine, assistant director for the UW undergraduate admissions office, will be speaking about the office’s new system for all-digital submissions. By going all-digital, David is helping foster the university’s commitment to sustainability and reducing paper on campus.

April 19

UW Sustainability open house with Faculty

Gerberding Hall room B40, 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Stop by the sustainability office for an informal meet and greet with faculty to create connections and hopefully inspire collaboration. RSVP to tee10@uw.edu.

April 20

Presentations on Water

Gerberding Hall room 142, noon-1:00 p.m.

Come hear these exciting presentations from Nancie Weston and Chrissy Cooley on the topic of water. Nancie Weston, founder and CEO of GRAYL, will talk about how to travel sustainably and free from water-borne sickness. GRAYL is a Seattle-based company that builds water purification and filtration devices for backpacking, international travel, and earthquake prep kits. Chrissy Cooley will present on the social justice lens of water access, and outline the steps of banning bottled water.

April 21

Getting Around Puget Sound

HUB 214, 12:05-12:55 p.m.

UW Combined Fund Drive and UW Transportation Services are co-sponsoring an information-packed forum featuring Seattle’s own Transportation Choices Coalition. You’ll hear the latest on topics including the future of transportation in Puget Sound, Link light rail, and UW commuter choices. Be one of the first 25 guests at the door and receive a complimentary water bottle from EarthShare Washington. Enter to win fun door prizes and enjoy light refreshments. The event is free, but registration is required. Open to all faculty, staff, and students.

April 22

UW Earth Day Celebration on Red Square

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Red Square is the site of UW’s central Earth Day festivities, including exhibitors, music, speakers and the Husky Green Award presentations. Find full details on Sustainability’s Earth Day page.

April 22

Harborview Earth Day Challenge: Skip the Elevator and Take the Stairs!

In honor of Earth Day, skip the elevator and take the stairs! This is not only a healthy choice for you, but also for the environment. On any given day at HMC, there may be over 10,000 elevator calls on campus. Reducing the number of elevator calls reduces our energy use. Join your co-workers to reach our goal of 250,000 stairs climbed on Earth Day.

Register here.

April 23

Earth Day Work Party at Washington Park Arboretum

9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

On Saturday, April 23, UW Botanic Gardens is partnering with the Student Conservation Association to host a work party at the Washington Park Arboretum in celebration of Earth Day. The work party runs from 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., and free lunch will be provided afterwards. Come get your hands dirty and help support the health of our planet! Participants should register in advance so enough food can be ordered. Contact David Zuckerman at dzman@uw.edu for more information about how to sign up.

Together we can make our Earth a much better place to live in – for ourselves, and future generations.