Join University Housing and the Office of Sustainability from September 15-19, 2025 for a week-long celebration of sustainability and campus life! Throughout the week, celebrate student sustainability initiatives at the Green Fund Kickoff or explore new parts of campus on the student-led walking tour. Pedal fast on the blender bike or screenprint at the Sustainability Showcase on Friday!
Whether you’re a first-year resident or a returning Badger, Sustain-a-Bash invites students to come together, have fun, and learn how #BadgersLiveSustainably.
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- Monday, September 15
- Tuesday, September 16
- Wednesday, September 17
- Friday, September 19
- Campus Sustainability Scavenger Hunt
School of Education Native Planting Work Party
On Sept. 15th from 8:30am-10:00am, come learn about a newly established native plant garden on campus! Help weed and prepare beds for the next round of planting this fall. Meet at the patio on the north side of the School of Education building (1000 Bascom Mall). Please wear closed toed shoes. We will provide gloves. Email iraley@wisc.edu to RSVP or just show up!
Green Fund Fall Kickoff: Tour & Picnic
Join us for a walking tour to see Green Fund projects in action on Tuesday, Sept. 16 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. starting at Allen Centennial Garden. Taste a new energy-saving ice cream recipe, see an aquaponics system where fish and plants grow in symbiosis, learn about award-winning student research that added solar panels to the roofs of campus bus shelters, and much more.
Following the tour, come eat tasty food, meet other students, and share ideas for how to make the UW—Madison campus more sustainable at the Allen Centennial Garden from 5:30-7:00 p.m.! All are welcome. Feel free to invite friends! Food and picnic blankets provided. No need to have an idea or a group before the event, to stay the whole time, or to attend both the tour and picnic.
Please RSVP here.
National Voter Registration Day
Join us to celebrate National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, Sept. 16. BadgersVote will host voter registration opportunities throughout campus in collaboration with the Madison City Clerk’s Office and campus partners. Visit the Education Building, Cooper Hall or the Student Voters Union office at 333 East Campus Mall between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. if you’re interested in voting in Wisconsin! For more info on registering online, in person and on Election Day, visit vote.wisc.edu.
Wisconsin Urban Planning Association Kickoff Meeting
Join the Wisconsin Urban Planning Association for their kickoff meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 17th at 6 pm in Music Hall Room 208. Hear from students about their internships in sustainability, environmental planning, GIS, and more. Learn about opportunities to get published in The Wisconsin Urbanist, meet students with similar passions, and participate in a geoguessr game night!
Crafternoon
Join the Disability Cultural Center for Crafternoon: Sustain-A-Bash Edition on Friday 9/19 from 2-4pm at 702 W Johnson St! We’ll have crafts aimed at reducing waste by giving everyday items a new use. This includes “junk journaling,” a practice that uses everyday items like receipts or ticket stubs as material for journal entries. We’ll also have materials for repurposing old jars as light sources, storage, or decor. Some supplies will be provided, but we highly encourage crafters to bring materials that they already own (jars, journals, receipts) to really follow the spirit of Sustain-A-Bash!
Sustainability Walking Tour
Get to know your way around campus while also learning about our sustainability initiatives! Come join us Friday, Sept. 19, 1:45 p.m. outside the front doors of Elizabeth Waters Residence Hall on Observatory Drive for a walking tour of UW–Madison’s west campus sustainability features. The tour will end at the Sustain-a-Bash Showcase on the lawn outside Dejope Residence Hall.
Sustain-a-Bash Showcase
Join University Housing and the Office of Sustainability for the 12th annual Sustain-a-Bash Showcase on Friday, Sept. 19 from 3–5 p.m. on Dejope Lawn. Dance with Bucky, snack on local food, play lawn games, and bring a shirt to screen-print while learning from campus and community sustainability orgs.
The Campus Sustainability Scavenger Hunt invites participants to explore the Campus Sustainability Map, which highlights over 300 sustainability initiatives at UW–Madison. Participants can take a self-guided tour of sustainability features on campus and capture their experiences through photos. The Scavenger Hunt is open from Sept. 15 to Sept. 18 at 11:59 p.m. Participants can submit their photos via upload to the submission form. Winners will be announced at the Sustain-a-Bash Showcase on Friday, Sept. 19.
Previous Years
Sustain-a-Bash 2024
Slide to Sustain-a-bash featured a special guest appearance: Bucky along side members from the UW Marching band!
Sustain-a-Bash 2023
Celebrating 10 wonderful years of Sustain-a-Bash! We were joined by a variety of organizations, departments, and community groups. Electrical Eats Food Truck provided delicious sanacks!
Sustain-a-Bash 2022
In its ninth year, Sustain-a-Bash returned to East Campus Mall, featuring time-tested crowd favorites: the blender bike and a five-foot tall inflatable globe.
Sustain-a-Bash 2021
Sustain-a-Bash shifted again in 2021 to a weeklong hybrid event with both virtual and in-person activities, including tabling by orgs and groups, a spikeball tournament, a raffle, and locally-sourced snacks from Dining & Culinary Services.
Sustain-a-Bash 2020
Presented virtually over the course of a week, Sustain-a-Bash 2020 focused on the topics of social sustainability, sustainability 101, food, water and energy, and conscious consumerism.
Sustain-a-Bash 2019
Twenty groups and orgs, from Slow Food UW to the Lakeshore Nature Preserve, invited students to learn and interact during Sustain-a-Bash 2019.
Sustain-a-Bash 2018
From seed bombs to blender bikes, Badgers braved the cold for a great afternoon of activities.
Sustain-a-Bash 2017
Our fourth annual event featured a make-your-own milkshake station and opportunities for students to practice sustainability in their daily lives.
Sustain-a-Bash 2016
Students got the chance to crush the competition in “Trashketball”, aiming to reduce waste by gleefully shooting materials into the correct bins perched on ladders.
Sustain-a-Bash 2015
The 2nd Sustain-a-Bash took place at both Dejope Residence Hall and Gordon Dining and Event Center, allowing students living across campus to celebrate sustainability.
