the UW Sustainability blog
It's Earth Week!
Earth Day is this Friday, April 22, but our planet deserves more than just a day. There are events happening throughout this week across campus, all gearing up to our Earth day celebration in Red Square on Friday. I've detailed the events hosted by UW Earth Club and UW Sustainability - check out our Earth Day events page for the full list of campus events.
Today (Friday, April 8) the student group EcoReps wants to help you freshen up your wardrobe while getting rid of your unwanted clothes without tossing them in the trash.
The EcoReps are hosting a clothing swap on Red Square today from 2-5 p.m. Bring your gently-used clothes and swap them for new-to-you items - help reduce waste while revamping your wardrobe. Just look for the EcoReps tables on Red Square to start swapping clothes.
The UW Botanic Gardens and the Student Conservation Association have teamed up to host a work party at the Washington Park Arboretum on Saturday, April 23.
Individuals and groups from UW are invited to join us for this opportunity to dig in and help support the health of our planet. Come get your hands dirty and celebrate Earth Day with us - the first 400 volunteers to register will also receive free lunch and t-shirts!
The Tobacco Action Group (TAG), UW American Lung Association (ALA), and Students Expressing Environmental Dedication (SEED) are hosting Huskies Kick Butts, a campus-wide cigarette butt cleanup that will raise awareness of the tobacco industry's impact on climate change and the need for UW to adopt a tobacco-free campus policy.
The EcoReps student group has been working on several campus projects to further sustainability at UW.
The UW EcoReps clothing swap will be held on Friday, April 8, in Red Square from 2-5 p.m. This project helps address the current issue of textile waste in the United States. In order to promote a change in social norms surrounding textile consumption, we are offering a fun, sustainable event for students to come together and exchange their gently used clothing.
The UW Future of Ice Initiative is hosting the university's first Polar Day, a day of talks by faculty and students who work in the polar regions, with time for questions and discussions.
The event starts at 9:15 a.m. at the UW Club's Yukon Pacific Room, but attendees are welcome to arrive starting at 8:30 a.m. for coffee and pastries. The first 50 people to arrive will receive a free lunch.
The UW Polar Day Schedule is below:
If you're interested in working in the green building industry, you may want to become certified as a LEED Green Associate. This credential shows you have taken the training and have knowledge of the LEED ratings system.
LeadingGreen will be on campus on April 16 for a LEED Green Associate training session in Loew 102 from 1-5 p.m., which will provide an overview of LEED and information designed to help you pass the LEED GA exam administered by the U.S. Green Building Council.
From LeadingGreen's event information:
A handful of students make their way to the University of Washington’s Forest Club Room as Todd Woodard stands in front, getting ready to discuss land preservation in Coast Salish country.
Restoration projects are an integral part of Samish Native American culture – whether it’s restoring ecosystems in the Samish river watershed or reviving landscapes in Cypress Island.
“The heart of restoration is getting things back to the way they are,” began Woodard, director of the Samish Nation Natural Resources Department.
UW Organizational Excellence is hosting a Showcase on March 8 from 1-3 p.m. in the HUB Lyceum, featuring work from departments across the UW. This event will showcase how schools, colleges, and administrative units are making the UW better – together. UW Sustainability is excited to be there as a presenter and to see the outstanding work from other areas of the university.
The 2016 MobilizeGreen Annual Conference and Diversity Career Fair will be held at the University of Washington on April 7-8, 2016. Speakers for the event include Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and Leslie Weldon, the Deputy Chief for National Forest System with the USDA Forest Service.