Earth Week at the U of A Celebration Events Start Today, Run All Week

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas will celebrate Earth Week, April 17-22, with a week of events and activities presented by the Office for Sustainability in coordination with Associated Student Government, University Programs, Net Impact RSO, Department of Landscape Architecture, and the Social Innovation Hub.

Earth Week is designed to be a week of events leading up to Earth Day, April 22, the annual international event demonstrating support for environmental protection. Established in 1970, Earth Day is celebrated in 192 countries each year.

Earth Week at the U of A is a week full of events for people of all ages to get involved. There will be learning opportunities as well as opportunities to participate in service projects.

"Earth Week is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the progress we've made while educating our community about the challenges ahead," said Eric Boles, director of the Office for Sustainability.

Earth Week kicked off Monday with tasty watermelons and information at the Union Mall and the start of the second week of Project Clean Plate in the U of A dining halls. Students across campus are pledging to reduce food waste by not taking more than they can eat. Keep an eye out for Razorback Food Recovery volunteers educating students all week long in the dining halls. 

Tuesday, April 18, students can stop by the south terrace of the Union for yoga with Fayettechill. That’s the deck with a nice outdoor fire feature. In the evening, students can join ASG to “Pitch the Bottle” as they recycle in the outfield of the Razorback baseball game at Baum Stadium.

Wednesday, April 19 at 6 p.m., there will be a screening of Leonardo DiCaprio’s film Before the Flood at the Union Theatre, hosted by ASG and the Office for Sustainability. A screening in the fall was so popular that students were turned away, so this is another opportunity to take a look. Snacks will be provided.

On Thursday, April 20, campus members can meet at 4 p.m. at the Office for Sustainability on Harmon Avenue to walk around campus and pick up trash. Food will be provided after the cleanup. On Thursday evening the office will host the Sustainability Capstone Poster Reception from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Arkansas Union Connections Lounge. Posters will be displayed all day on Wednesday and Thursday for public viewing.

To wrap up the week on Friday, April 21, there will be an Earth Day Block Party on the Union Mall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This event has been a success year after year as the community, campus organizations and local businesses come together to share a common interest in sustainability. Great activities are planned, with plenty of food, live music, more watermelon, solar cooked smores, Tropical Sno, terracotta pot painting, shirt dyeing, good people, and great conversations. If that’s not enough, there will also be some Earth Day themed prizes given away throughout the event. Also on Friday at noon in the Ken and Linda Sue Shollmier Hall of Vol Walker Hall, the Department of Landscape Architecture in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design will be screening the documentary Jans Jensen the Living Green. The film is about an hour long, and will be followed by food, refreshments, and discussion with Carey Lundin, the film’s director and co-producer. 

Earth Day is on Saturday, April 22, with the Social Innovation Hub Changemaker Forum from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. With final presentations from student groups, this will conclude this semester’s Design Solution Challenge. Warwick Sabin, Arkansas State Representative and senior drector of U.S. Programs at Winrock International will give the opening remarks on the social entrepreneurship movement in Arkansas.

For more information visit sustainability.uark.edu or contact the Office for Sustainability at 479-575-3715 or sustain@uark.edu.