Flowers on a magnolia tree are seen in full bloom outside the Memorial Union at the University of Wisconsin-Madison during a spring morning on April 27, 2019. (Photo by Jeff Miller / UW-Madison)

Earth Week

Earth Week is an opportunity to celebrate as well as critically examine our relationships with the natural environment—and with each other.

Looking for information about Earth Week 2024? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here, and keep your eyes on our Facebook and Instagram feeds to stay up-to-date on our Earth Week announcements and year-round sustainability efforts.

Earth Week 2023 Schedule

Scheduled Events

9–10 a.m. – Mindfulness Yoga Session
Upper Gulley Program Room, Carson Gulley Center – REGISTER HERE
The Office of Sustainability and UW RecWell are collaborating to host a mindfulness yoga season to kick off Earth Week! Be sure to bring your own yoga mat and water bottle. This event will also include free breakfast breads, fresh fruit, coffee and tea!

11 a.m.–2 p.m. – Plant Forward Lunch
Lowell Market
Lowell Market has been serving a plant-forward menu every Monday since the beginning of the 2022–2023 academic year. This celebration will highlight the Market’s dedication to sustainability and feature a delicious, plant-forward menu, prizes, and more!

Noon–1:30 p.m. – Sow, Sprout, and Sustain
Chadbourne Garden Bed – Chadbourne basement classroom
 Get your hands dirty and help plant some cold weather crops in the Chadbourne Garden Beds with the Food Team from the Office of Sustainability. The event will also feature a pantry swap. If able, feel free to bring non-perishable food items to donate, and take any pantry items that you need. First attendees will also receive herb starters and a fact sheet to take home to grow on your own!

3–4:30 p.m. – Plants for the Apocalypse
Allen Centennial Garden, D.C. Smith Greenhouse, RSVP HERE
Plants are our partners in life and in death. They might signal the coming of the apocalypse, feed or heal us through extreme experiences, and help us cope with our mental health in challenging ecological times. We will explore plant relationships with apocalypse and their associations with death, war, famine, and plague. What kind of plants would you want around for the end of the world? Drop in for a self-guided tour and learn from UW community members about plants that have the potential to affect the health of people, the Earth, and our relationships.

3–5 p.m. – Field Trip to Troy Farm
Troy Farm (will be mostly indoors due to weather) – REGISTER HERE
Join students from Horticulture 372 and get a free tour of a local Madison organic farm, Troy Farm. Troy Farm is proud to be one of Madison’s oldest organic urban Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Come prepared to get your hands dirty! This event is limited to 30 people.

6:30–7:30 p.m. – Slow Food: Dinner on Earth
The Crossing
Stop by The Crossing for a delicious, home cooked meal put on by Slow Food UW!

All Day

Daily DIY video – Visit our Instagram or TikTok channel

Scheduled Events

9 a.m.–Noon – Water@UW Spring Symposium
Gordon Commons

12:30 p.m.–6 p.m. – Nelson Institute Earth Day 2023: Species on the Move
Discovery Building, REGISTER HERE
https://earthday.nelson.wisc.edu/ 

5–8 p.m. – Sustainability and Social Impact Networking Night
Grainger Hall, Room 3290

7–8 p.m. – Earth Day Trivia 
Der Rathskeller
Join CLEAN (Campus Leaders for Energy Action Now) and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies for a fun night of Earth-day themed trivia questions! Questions will be centered around Earth Day, as well as other environmental and sustainability related themes. There will also be some amazing prizes from multiple local businesses for winners!

All Day

Daily DIY video – Visit our Instagram or TikTok channel

Scheduled Events

9 a.m.–1:15 p.m. – Nelson Institute Earth Day 2023: Species on the Move
Virtual, REGISTER HERE
https://earthday.nelson.wisc.edu/

Noon–1 p.m. – Wellbeing Wednesday: Nutrition & Food Sustainability
Gordon Dining and Event Center
Stop by the table at Gordon Dining and Event Center to gain knowledge and information about food nutrition and sustainability, hosted by UW RecWell and the Food Team from the Office of Sustainability. There will be free merchandise, snacks, and fact sheets to take home!

Noon–2 p.m. – Slow Food: Café Terra
The Crossing

3–4:30 p.m. – Allen Centennial Plant Giveaway (BYO mug for planting!)
Allen Centennial Garden
BYOMug? Yes! Bring it to Allen Centennial Garden to transform it into the perfect little pot for houseplants and herbs. We’ll provide the plants and soil. (If you don’t have a mug, we’ll have a few to share and other little pots while supplies last!)

5:30–6:30 p.m. – Stakeholder Capitalism Fireside Chat
Grainger Hall, Plenary Room
The Department of Accounting is very excited to host Alison Omens, Chief Strategy Officer at JUST Capital. Senior Associate Dean Terry Warfield with host a ‘fireside chat’ with Alison on the topic of Stakeholder Capitalism.  ‘JUST Capital’s mission is to catalyze corporate leadership to tackle society’s most pressing challenges. Our goal? A world in which business and markets are a force for the greater good, driving competition to build a better future for all of us.’

All Day

Daily DIY video – Visit our Instagram or TikTok channel

Scheduled Events

Noon–1 p.m. – Climate Change in the African and Arab Regions (CANCELED)
SAC Caucus Room

Noon–1 p.m. – Lunchtime Conversation: Bird Collisions at UW–Madison
Virtual – REGISTER HERE
Join us for a lunchtime conversation centered on bird collisions on the UW–Madison campus. This conversation will bring together faculty, staff, students, researchers, and community members who are interested in finding new and thoughtful ways to mitigate bird collisions with buildings on campus, and how we as a community can work to avoid this through careful monitoring, newer available research, and proactive design.

3–5 p.m. – Bike Repairs and Resources with UW–Madison Cycling Club
Library Mall

6–8 p.m. – GreenHouse’s Grocery Games
Babcock Kitchen in Babcock Hall – REGISTER HERE
The GreenHouse Learning Community is hosting a cooking competition using excess grocery items. Join a group of cooks and compete to make the tastiest dish in 60 minutes! Bring grocery bags to bring extra produce home (there will be lots) and come hungry! Each cook on the winning team will receive a National Park poster.

All Day

Daily DIY video – Visit our Instagram or TikTok channel

Scheduled Events

Noon–2 p.m. – Campus-Wide Cleanup: Central Campus
Union South (Noon start)
Langdon St. (1 p.m. start, meet at the Memorial Union, preview the route), REGISTER HERE
The Office of Sustainability is organizing two clean-up events on different parts of campus! Bring water and gloves, if you have them, and be sure to dress for the weather! Trash bags and some gloves will be provided. 

Noon–2 p.m. – Sustainability Showcase 
Library Mall
Meet and chat with friends and colleagues from sustainability organizations across campus to learn how they’re helping #SustainUW!

1–4 p.m. – ReWear-It Clothing Swap
21 North Park St., Room 1108
Bring in any clothes you’re no longer loving and find some new goodies at the clothing swap!

2–4 p.m. – All Out! Natural Dye Workshop
Mendota Lodge, Memorial Union
The Office of Sustainability is collaborating with Wisconsin Hoofers Ambassadors to host a natural dye workshop using avocados, onions and spinach! Stop by to dye a free Office of Sustainability tote bag while supplies last, or bring your own cotton garment to dye.

All Day

Daily DIY video – Visit our Instagram or TikTok channel

9–11 a.m. – Earth Day Challenge Invasive Plant Removal (volunteer event)
Entrance to Picnic Point, Lakeshore Nature Preserve

11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. – Campus-Wide Cleanup, West Campus
Health Sciences Learning Center, REGISTER HERE
Come join Medical Students For A Sustainable Future for a waste clean up on the west side of campus. We will be meeting outside of the Health Sciences Learning Center.

Noon – Earth Day March
Library Mall to the Capitol

1:30–4:30 p.m. – EmPOWERing Youth for a Brighter Future
UW Arboretum – INFO AND REGISTRATION HERE

 

*moved to Saturday, April 22* Campus-Wide Cleanup, West Campus

Thank you to our Earth Week 2023 partners!

  • Allen Centennial Garden
  • ASM Sustainability Committee
  • Business School Career Studio
  • Campus Leaders for Energy Action Now
  • Ethical and Responsible Business Network
  • Facilities Planning & Management
  • Greenhouse Learning Community
  • Hoofer Ambassadors
  • Lakeshore Nature Preserve
  • Medical Students for a Sustainable Future
  • Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
  • Re-Wear It
  • RecWell
  • Slow Food UW
  • Social and Environmental Business Advocates
  • Social Justice Hub
  • University Housing
  • UW Arboretum
  • Wisconsin Cycling Club

Blue and yellow calendar graphic

Previous Years

Beginning with our inaugural Earth Week in 2018 and continuing through our much-expanded Earth Week 2019, an all-virtual Earth Week 2020, and a hybrid celebration in 2021 and 2022 the Office of Sustainability has hosted a variety of environment- and sustainability-related events during the week of Earth Day in April.