The University of Washington is hosting events to recognize Earth Day, our planet and the environment during the entire Earth Month and beyond. Here is a sampling of the events happening around UW as part of the Earth Day celebration:
Wednesday April 23
Climate Justice and Forced Migration with UW Women’s Center and Campus Sustainability Fund
Cunningham Hall, 12 - 1:30 p.m.
Alder 107, 1:30 - 5 p.m.
This event will be an afternoon of learning, community-building, and healing focused on the intersections between climate justice, health, and forced migration. The event will feature a lecture from former Rep. Velma Veloria on the Environmental Justice struggle from the King County International Airport, a keynote by Port Commissioner President Toshiko Hasegawa, and a panel on Climate and Community Health with Eric Opoku Agyemang (Puget Sound Sage), Sameth Mell (KCIACC), and Paulina Lopez (DRCC). The day also includes community tabling, restorative healing sessions with Monique Taylor and Naoki Diwa, and a public class on climate change and forced migration led by Dr. Sutapa Basu and former Rep. Velma Veloria. Drop in for some or all of the sessions - come & go as you'd like. See the schedule here.
Virtual environmental nonprofit expo
The UW Combined Fund Drive is hosting a virtual nonprofit expo featuring organizations that are dedicated to environmental conservation. Organizations include Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, Environmental Coalition of South Seattle (ECOSS) and Long Live the Kings. Registration with NetID required.
Huskies for Equitable Sustainability: Green jobs panel
Huskies for Equitable Sustainability (HuES) will host an interactive Green Jobs Panel for students to learn about career pathways in sustainability and connect with professionals in the field. Includes an engaging career workshop covering internships, resumes, and networking followed by a panel discussion with professionals from the public and private sectors.
Society for Ecological Restoration @ Hansee
Hansee site north of Paccar Hall, 4 - 5 p.m.
Join the Society for Ecological Restoration in this volunteer work party at their Hansee site. You'll be removing invasive species or planting native ones. Wear clothes that can get dirty and sturdy shoes; tools and gloves will be provided.
Culinary heritage and history: "The mystic kitchens of Nepal"
Thomson Hall 317, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
“The Mystic Kitchens of Nepal” is a comprehensive cookbook based on over 15 years of research, travel, and trekking through Nepal. Author Bikram Vaidya not only traveled the country, but also lived with local communities, documenting their oral stories and culinary traditions. He explores how Nepalese food connects to history, geography, culture, migration, and sustainability. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is advised.
Thursday April 24
Power Plant tour
UW Power Plant, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Join us for a tour of the UW Power Plant and learn all about the decarbonization efforts and improvements made over the years. This tour has limited availability and requires registration.
UW Farm volunteer session
Mercer Court, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Volunteer with UW Farm and learn more about how the Farm operates on campus! Activities could include harvesting, planting, weeding, installing drip irrigation, and much more. All are welcome, but are asked to complete the sign up forms before arriving.
Mapping the Food Systems Near You
Gerberding B40, 12 - 2 p.m.
Join the Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) for an interactive workshop to learn about the different food systems near you. From community fridges to CSA boxes, see how you can interact with your community!
UW Bothell repair cafe
UWB Discovery Hall, 2 - 6 p.m.
Got something broken? Bring it to this free repair cafe for a volunteer fixer to repair it. First come, first serve. Two item limit per person. Accepted items include bikes, laptops software repair (cannot service Apple), clothes, jewelry, home decor, lamps, small appliances, toys and more.
Sustainable Food Cooking Demo
Local Point Chef's Table, 5 - 7 p.m.
Join the ASUW Food Co-op, Anime Nation club, and Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) for a fun and educational sustainable food cooking demo! This collaboration will showcase how to cook delicious, environmentally-friendly meals using seasonal produce sourced from UW Farm. This interactive event will teach you cooking techniques and help you understand the importance of supporting sustainable food systems. Open to seasoned cooks or beginners, come learn and enjoy.
Friday April 25
Thrift + swap with Green Greeks
UW Green Greeks is hosting this clothing swap/thrift event. Come out and find some new-to-you clothing. There will also be artists on hand to customize your finds (or your favorite shirt from home) with linoleum block printing and natural dyes. Find a piece with a small tear? Bring it to the mini repair fair!
Mini repair & mending fair
The MILL (McCarty Hall B52), 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Join this Mini Repair and Mending Fair in the MILL to speak with a mender from Seattle REconomy! They'll work to mend or fix your item, while providing information on the resources available to students through the UW maker spaces. This event is first come, first served. Presented in partnership with Seattle REconomy, UW Sustainability & UW Recycling.
Native Garden tour & Food justice panel
Center for Urban Horticulture, 4 - 7:30 p.m.
Experience a walking tour of the University of Washington (UW) Seattle Native Garden at the campus farm led by Sarah Mayer, “Sarai” and Eric Alipio. Then join us after for a meal and discussion on Indigenous food sovereignty, food justice, and BIPOC urban farming in King County. Please RSVP to ensure there is enough food for everyone.
UW Tacoma Spring Day of Caring
Milgard 110 & Giving Garden, 12 - 5 p.m.
Day of Caring is a biannual service day project hosted by UW Tacoma's Husky Volunteers group. This year's focus is on the UWT Giving Garden. Get your hands in the dirt and help the Giving Garden team enhance the garden by installing a new walkway, revitalizing some sleepy garden beds, learning about sustainable practices, and more! We will begin with lunch at 12 p.m. in Milgard 110 and transition as a group to the Giving Garden afterward.
Society for Ecological Restoration @ Burke-Gilman
Burke Gilman Trail behind Bloedel Hall, 3 - 5 p.m.
Join the Society for Ecological Restoration in this volunteer work party at their Burke-Gilman Trail site. You'll be removing invasive species or planting native ones. Wear clothes that can get dirty and sturdy shoes; tools and gloves will be provided.
UW Farm pizza bake
UW Farm Center for Urban Horticulture Site, 4 - 6 p.m.
Join the UW Farm for a pizza bake! Learn more about the UW's campus farm, and explore with self-guided sustainability tours. You're encouraged to bring a donation for the UW Food Pantry.
Saturday April 26
Society for Ecological Restoration @ Yesler Swamp
Center for Urban Horticulture, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Join the Society for Ecological Restoration in this volunteer work party at Yesler Swamp. Wear clothes that can get dirty and sturdy shoes.
Wednesday April 30
Connecting feelings to climate change: Find hope amidst grief and anxiety (UW Bothell event)
UW Bothell Mobius Hall, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
You’re not alone in what you’re feeling in regards to Climate Change, and you don’t need to “fix” your feelings! Join us for an hour of reflection and connection with your peers, with talks from the Counseling Center and Dr. Jennifer Atkinson.
Past events:
Sunday April 5
Urban trees tour: How to better manage our urban forests
meet outside Denny Hall, 2 – 4 p.m.
On this stroll around campus, participants will learn some of the ways that we as a city and society can tackle a myriad of environmental problems by tapping into the power of trees. This guided tour will show off different tree species on campus, and will include discussion of threats they face in an era of climate change, and inform participants about how we as human beings can utilize our urban forest to mitigate the worst effects of a warmer world. This tour will last about two hours, with around half a mile of walking. Participants who need to leave early are more than welcome to do so. For questions or for more information, please visit the UW Campus Tree Tours website.
Wednesday April 9
Learn about compost and recycling with Recology
Local Point, 2:15 - 4 p.m.
The UW’s recycling vendor, Recology, will demonstrate how to sort your garbage, recycling and compost in the dish areas of Local Point.
UW Green Futures Lab: Past, present & prospect exhibit reception
Gould Hall Gallery, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Join us for the opening reception of the Green Futures Lab exhibit at the Gould Gallery. Celebrate the Lab's innovative work advancing sustainable urban spaces through research, design, and community collaboration, and honor the many people who have contributed over the past decades. This is an opportunity to connect with professionals, students, and community leaders as we reflect on the Lab’s impact and look ahead to its future.
Engineering careers in public utilities
Molecular Engineering & Sciences 115, 4:30 p.m.
The student group Global Renewables for Infrastructure Development (GRID) is hosting this discussion with guest speaker Max Emrick. Open to all students interested in sustainable infrastructure, power systems and energy careers.
Thursday April 10
Sustaining Our World lecture with Hilary Franz, former Washington state commissioner of public lands
Kane Hall 110 or via YouTube Live, 7 - 8 p.m.
The Sustaining Our World lectures explore complex issues of natural resource conservation and management in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. This year's lecture features Hilary Franz, speaking on "Climate change and resilience: How science and solutions can bring society together." The lecture will be live-streamed on YouTube by the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.
UW Bothell tree planting party
meet outside the upper Innovation Hall entrance on Campus Way, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Get your hands dirty! Volunteer with the awesome UW Bothell Grounds team to work on tree planting and restoration. You can also join on April 18th, same time and place!
Friday April 11
Learn about compost and recycling with Recology
Center Table, 11:15 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The UW’s recycling vendor, Recology, will demonstrate how to sort your garbage, recycling and compost in the dish areas of Center Table.
UW Bothell campus sustainability tour
meet at the W on the south side of UWB's campus, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Come see the UW Bothell/Cascadia College campus! We’ll learn about the history of the site and see several of its sustainable features that make it the world's most sustainable campus grounds. These features include our edible landscapes, restored wetland, and more. Wear comfortable shoes, dress for the weather, and bring a water bottle.
Saturday April 12
Bullitt Center tour
Join the UW student group Climate Collaboratory for a tour of the Bullitt Center on Capitol Hill. The Bullitt Center bills itself as the "greenest commercial building in the world," and is home to the UW's Center for Integrated Design. The tour is free but space is limited, so registration is required. Tour participants are also asked to wear a mask.
Tuesday April 15
UW Bothell earth fair
UWB Codex outside bookstore, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
UW Bothell's Earth Fair will feature a free thrift market, music, and activities from plant giveaways to crafts. Meet and chat with local organizations and UWB campus clubs.
Wednesday April 16
"Doing right by land and each other; gardens for the next world"
Architecture Hall 147. 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
David Godshall, co-founder of TERREMOTO, will present this lecture, hosted by the UW Landscape Architecture Professional Advisory Council. If gardens are mirrors of culture, and our present culture is a hot mess, how might we go about making gardens that reject the materially consumptive and ecology destroying power of late-stage capitalism? TERREMOTO believes that through self-investigation into our relationships to Land, Labor, Materials and Ecology, we can forge a new path and paradigm and create landscapes that are in service of the whole. The event is free, but registration is required by April 7.
Thursday April 17
"Oceans, climate and health: The cholera model"
Population Health 155 or Zoom, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
This lecture by Dr. Rita Colwell is hosted by the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences. Dr. Rita Colwell serves as Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland at College Park and Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and is Founder and Chairman of CosmosID, Inc. Through her research, innovations, and 40 years of scientific leadership, Dr. Colwell was able to define current understanding of the ecology of infectious diseases, notably cholera, and develop use of advanced technologies to halt their spread.RSVP for Zoom link.
Friday April 18
“Harnessing law and policy to reduce food waste”
Gowen Hall 1A Olsen Room, 12 - 1:30 p.m.
This talk is part of the Duck Family Colloquium Series, hosted by the Center for Environmental Politics. The speaker Emily Broad Leib is a Clinical Professor of Law, Director of Harvard Law School Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, and Founding Director of the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic, the nation’s first law school clinic devoted to providing legal and policy solutions to the health, economic, and environmental challenges facing our food system.
UW Bothell tree planting party
meet outside the upper Innovation Hall entrance on Campus Way, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Get your hands dirty! Volunteer with the awesome UW Bothell Grounds team to work on tree planting and restoration. You can also join on April 18th, same time and place!
Saturday April 19
Earth Day at the Arboretum volunteer event
Washington Park Arboretum, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
UW Botanic Gardens, Seattle Parks and Recreation, and the Arboretum Foundation co-host their annual Earth Day community and volunteer event. Help remove invasive weeds and build pollinator hotels. This volunteer work party is open to anyone aged 15 and over, but space is limited and pre-registration required.
Earth Day with the UW Farm
UW Farm Center for Urban Horticulture Site, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Join the UW Farm for a volunteer shift before Earth Day. Projects will include planting the new perennial strawberry patch and planting flowers for pollinators. All are welcome, but are asked to complete the volunteer signup forms before arriving.
Society for Ecological Restoration @ Yesler Swamp
Center for Urban Horticulture, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Join the Society for Ecological Restoration in this volunteer work party at Yesler Swamp. Wear clothes that can get dirty and sturdy shoes.
Monday April 21
Sustainability walking tour
meet outside the HUB by the Husky Statue, 1:30 p.m.
Join UW Sustainability for a walking tour highlighting just a few reasons that UW’s campus is a leader in sustainability. The tour will meet at the Husky Statue in front of the HUB. From there we will explore some of UW’s sustainability features including innovative buildings and secluded green space. This tour focusing on spots around north campus will take about an hour and finish near the Burke Museum.
Paws for the planet
Odegaard 220, 12 - 1 p.m.
Take a pause in your day and connect with UW Counseling to talk about climate anxiety and ways to mitigate it. There will also be dogs available for therapeutic petting while you’re at it!
Native Plant Seed & Shake Workshop
The Society for Ecological Restoration and Community, Environment & Planning will lead a brief informative session about the importance of native plants, we will then create "seed shakers" containing seeds of plants native to the Seattle area. We will then go scatter these seeds at a SER restoration site on campus.
Dave & Decarb
All UW students are invited to join UW's Executive Director of Campus Energy, Utilities, and Operations Dave Woodson for a discussion about the current status of the our decarbonization efforts. Dave will provide information on the plans for decarbonizing the on-campus power plant and our heating and cooling systems, which are responsible for nearly all of the UW's direct greenhouse gas emissions, while answering student questions.
Earth Week Zine Workshop
Join Modality UW for a Zine workshop in the UW Sustainability Office! You can use your zine to document your UW Earth Week experience with words, doodles, collages, and more!
Lettuce Eating Competition
The student group lettuce eating club hosts a annual lettuce eating competition! Official start time 4:20pm, check the club's Instagram @uwlettuce
Tuesday April 22
Climate Policy Forum
Alder Auditorium, 5 - 6:30 p.m.
This panel discussion presented by the student group SEED and ASUW's Office of Government Relations features climate policy professionals and will focus on policy at the local, state and national levels. The goal is to give students a deeper understanding of climate policy, providing a foundation for future conversations about about climate policy and sustainability. Provost Tricia Serio will give opening remarks, and the discussion will be followed by mingling and small bites in the Alder Commons. This event is free, but you are asked to register.
UW Solar tour
E-18 parking lot, 12:30 - 1 p.m.
Come check out the active construction site of a new solar panel installation on the big parking lot by Husky Stadium and learn about the project with students from UW Solar and staff from UW Transportation.
UW Transportation scavenger hunt
Transportation Services is hosting a scavenger hunt! Stop by the Sustainability Office in Gerberding B40 to grab your scavenger sheet or see the list online. Once you’ve completed your items, return your sheet to the Transportation Booth on Red Square for prizes.
RSO Earth Day Carnival
Red Square, 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Hosted by WashPIRG, this Earth Day Carnival will feature several RSOs. Connect with the student groups for interactive games, activities, and plenty of information about their important work.
Earth Day Rally and Crafting Event
Right after the Earth Day Carnival, stay to join the ICA student group and show your support for campus decarbonization and help us create a community piece of art.
UW Tacoma Earth Day celebration
Prairie Line Trail and Milgard 110, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Engage with UW Tacoma campus and community sustainability efforts and enjoy the start of Spring with fun activities and games. There's something for everyone topped off with live music, food, and giveaways! The celebration includes a free thrift popup, plant swap, seed library, poster displays, music, games and giveaways.
UW Bothell Alliance 4 Sustainability talks and trivia
UWB Commons Hall 005, 2 - 4 p.m.
Partnered with the Association for Computing Machinery's annual Hackathon, the UW Bothell A4S student group is glad to support this year’s theme: “UWB Hacks Save the World.” Join us to have a fun game night and hear from experts in both technology, innovation, environmentalism, and sustainability!
Society for Ecological Restoration @ Tikvah’s Garden
between Fishery Science Building & Wallace Hall, 2 - 4 p.m.
Join the Society for Ecological Restoration in this volunteer work party at Tikvah's Garden. You'll be removing invasive species or planting native ones. Wear clothes that can get dirty and sturdy shoes; tools and gloves will be provided.
Sustainability Initiative Seminar
Interested in sustainable practices in the built environment? Do you want to learn how you can be involved on campus? Hear from speakers Jon Alexander, of New Gaia Green Technologies, and Dave Woodson, UW's Executive Director of Campus Energy, Utilities, and Operations, on sustainability practices in the built environment. These talks will be followed by presentations by student groups AEE UW Student Chapter, ASHRAE UW Student Chapter, Solar Decathlon, SuperSurya and Timber Strong Design Build. After the group presentations will be time for networking, and pizza.
Seattle waterfront tour
meet at U-District station, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
Join a guided tour in collaboration with seasoned architects and professionals to understand sustainability practices in urban design and art in Seattle’s beautiful waterfront.