The Office of Sustainability, in partnership with over 18 student orgs, departments, and campus offices, will host its fourth annual Earth Week events from April 18-23, 2021. The events are free and open to all students, faculty, and staff. Earth Week is an opportunity to celebrate the resiliency of people and the planet, explore fascinating and complicated topics, and learn new sustainable skills.
This year’s events will include a range of topics and formats, including a sustainability roundtable with faculty from the Wisconsin School of Business, a clothing swap hosted by ASM, and a discussion of accessibility in the outdoors with the Social Justice Hub, Hoofer Ambassadors, and Out There Adventures. In addition, there will be daily DIY videos posted to YouTube, a week-long 5K walk/run/bike event where people can participate at their convenience, and much more. While most events will be presented virtually, some events, such as the clothing swap, will be outdoors and in-person, following proper COVID-19 guidelines.
“Due to the pandemic, we have greatly lost our camaraderie around campus,” said Natalie Tinsen, who is one of the interns working on Earth Week events. “By slowly introducing in-person events in a safe and inviting way this year, we can begin building new relationships around sustainability.”
Earth Week also highlights the Nelson Institute’s Earth Day, which is fully virtual for 2021. The Earth Day keynote speech will be delivered by marine biologist, policy expert, and writer Dr. Ayana Johnson, who will discuss her book, All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis. Prior to the keynote, Office of Sustainability interns will moderate a student-only discussion with Dr. Johnson.
To RSVP for Earth Week events, visit our Facebook page or our Earth Week webpage. The Office of Sustainability will also be sharing events throughout the week on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at @SustainUW.