Students
Earth Month 2023
Schedule of Events
Thank you for visiting the schedule for Earth Month 2023. This year, we are excited to partner with several campus departments and student organizations to offer a variety of events in both in-person and hybrid formats. Please contact us if you want to discuss event partnerships for any events and outreach you want to have during Earth Month (April) and we can add you to this calendar.
Please take an opportunity to browse the scheduled events below and check back regularly! New events will be added to the schedule as they are finalized. Follow our social media channels (Facebook or Instagram) for updates and follow the events as well as other interactive posts throughout the month of April.
Wellness Workshop: Prairie Walk
Mon, April 5: 1:00-2:00 pm
Meet at LAWCON Picnic Shelter
University Health and Counseling Services is offering a series of Wellness Workshops based on the eight dimensions of well-being. This workshop will focus on Environmental Wellness through connecting with the natural world in our own backyard, the 欧洲杯投注 Nature Preserve! This walking tour will focus on the physical and mental benefits of outdoor nature activities like hiking, birding, or geocaching. Attendees will also learn about resources to help them identify elements in the natural world and learn about the historic ecology and geography of the Whitewater area while learning how to identify some of the native plants that live in the reconstructed prairie.
Young Professionals in Sustainability Career Panel
Thursday April 6th: 5:00 pm-6:15 pm
Hyland 1311 or Webex (password: EarthMonth2023)
Former interns of the Sustainability Office will join us for a hybrid panel about their current employment. They will discuss the job they currently have, previous jobs they may have had, and the steps they took during their time as undergraduates at 欧洲杯投注 that lead them to their current position. The importance of internships and other campus involvement the panelists deem important to their success will be emphasized and attendees will learn more about how to get involved in these opportunities now. Current students will be able to garner a sense of what initial steps they can take to get their own career started after graduation.
Upham Greenhouse Open House with Recycled Glass Terrariums
Mon, April 10: 2:00 pm-5:00 pm
Upham Greenhouse
Turn trash into a treasure by creating your very own unique terrarium out of recycled glass jars and learn about exciting changes coming to Upham Greenhouse! Bring your own clean glass container or use one we provide to create an adorable micro ecosystem. This quick ten minute craft will give you the opportunity to learn more about upcycling everyday trash and turning it into “treasure” as well as learning key details on caring for plants. All plants, tools and potting supplies will be provided. Tours will also be provided to spotlight some of the greenhouse's permanent botanical collection and provide information on involvement opportunities working in Upham Greenhouse. Members of Students Allied for a Green Earth (SAGE) will also be there to hand out blossom kits and talk about their student organization.
UC Succulent Workshop
Tue, April 11: 7:00 pm
University Center - Warhawk Connection Center
UC Student Activities and Involvement invites you to swing by the Warhawk Connection Center to pot your very own succulent! Succulents are low-maintenance houseplants and easy to care for if you are a novice, aspiring, or neglectful gardener. You can also channel your inner artist by decorating a pot your succulent will live in. The Sustainability Office will be providing 150 plants and running on a first come, first serve basis, so get there early to snag your FREE plant!
Trash Pickup
Thu, April 13: 2:00 pm-4:00 pm
Williams Center sculpture
Join the student orgs Students Allied for a Green Earth (SAGE) and Diversity in STEM Education (DISE) as they lead a trash pickup of varioius areas of the 欧洲杯投注 main campus and help make a tangible difference for the local environment. Meet members at the sculpture near the Williams Center Fitness Center entrance. Trash bags and gloves will be provided for participants.
Plant Diversity in Latin American Countries
Thu, April 13: 5:30 pm
University Center 259
Join the Sustainability Office as we partner with Latinos Unidos for a fun evening of all things plants! We will be giving a presentation on a variety of native plants in Latin America to learn about the fascinating diversity of the plant world. Stick around to decorate your very own planting pot and get a free succulent to put in it!
Ice Age Trail Campus - Hike Exchange
Fri, April 14: 2:00 pm - Visitor's Center (1:45 PM departure) or State Forest parking along Hwy 12
Sat, April 15: 2:00 pm - Starin Park Upper Shelter
Join us as we lead a hike on Friday April 14th on a well maintained original section of the Ice Age Trail near Lake LaGrange to celebrate our campus's status as an Ice Age Trail Campus . We will meet at the Visitor's Center and provide transportation if needed. If you need transportation, please sign up by Thu, April 13 and meet us at the Visitor's Center for a 1:45 PM departure. Students can also meet us in the parking lot that connects directly to the trail where information about the geological history and amenities of the Kettle Moraine State Forest will be presented along the 3.5 mile loop.
Sign Up for Transportation Here
The action doesn’t stop there! On Saturday April 15th, the Ice Age Trail Alliance will be coming to our campus to connect with students on a 3.0 mile guided walk through the prairie! Members from the Walworth/Jefferson Chapter will meet attendees at the upper shelter in Starin Park. Following the hike, we will return to the Starin Park upper shelter for a short social get-together with snacks provided.
Environmental Art Workshop
Tue, April 18: 5:00 pm-7:30 pm
Center of the Arts - Crossman Gallery
Join Students Allied for a Green Earth (SAGE) and students from the Art and Design Department to learn how to create your very own art from various recycled materials. Basic art supplies and various types of materials will be available, but you are encouraged to bring your own trash items and turn them into treasure. There will be stations to create your own solo projects and you are invited to contribute to the SAGE group project.
“Walled Gardens” Art Exhibit Reception
Tue, April 18: 6:00 pm
University Center - Roberta's Art Gallery
We are excited to partner with the University Center Roberta's Art Gallery as artist Ben Orozco will be displaying his exhibit titled “Walled Gardens” in Roberta’s Art Gallery. His work revolves around the flattening of our landscapes, specifically in the agricultural environments of Wisconsin. The exhibit runs from March 22 - April 25.
There will be a discussion panel to discuss Ben’s work and how it ties into sustainability, agriculture, and Earth Month as a whole. This is a great opportunity to get students involved in important conversations about land use through an exciting medium.
Clothes Swap! Thrifting for Sustainability
Wed, April 19: 11:00 am-3:00 pm
University Center - Hamilton Room
The Sustainability Office is thrilled to be bringing back one of our most popular events, the Clothes Swap! Students can exchange old clothes for something new (to them)! They can browse a wide selection of different styles and sizes to choose from, and participants who want to take clothes are encouraged to bring something to donate so we can provide an ongoing selection to all participants.Who doesn’t love a thrifted outfit? All donations after the event will go to The Community Space.
Sustainability Video Competition
Thu, April 20: 6:00 pm
University Center 076 - Summers Auditorium
We are excited to hear from YOU, the aspiring filmmaker, to share a short film on any topic related to the environment to help us celebrate Earth Day. These videos can be in a documentary, advertisement, animation, or movie style that allows participants to get creative while sharing their knowledge and passion for environmental issues. Anyone is welcome to participate. To participate, please read the instructions for content guidelines and find the submission form.
Submissions are due April 9th.
The films will be shown as a film festival and attendees will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite films on April 20th. The top three with the most votes will win a prize from various campus and community organizations or companies.
Community Sustainability: Third Annual Earth Week Forum
Thu, April 20: 6:30-8:00 pm
Virtual - event information will be provided at later date
The League of Women Voters of Janesville will hold its annual Earth Week Forum on Thursday, April 20, 2023 from 6:30 – 8:00 PM. The theme for our virtual forum this year is Community Sustainability. Panelists will include local leaders in the areas of business, city government, county, and state government, K-12 schools, and colleges (including Wes Enterline, 欧洲杯投注 Sustainability Coordinator). The discussion will hopefully better help residents understand why community planning today needs to be done using sustainability and equity as objectives. The conversation will help inform local leaders and residents as to what others are doing around the state to thrive while building resilience. Going well beyond defining sustainability, the forum will provide pathways forward for action.
Campus Garden Opening Day
Fri, April 21: 11:00 am-3:00 pm
Meet at Campus Garden
Join us for our very first volunteer event in the Campus Garden this growing season as we work on bed preparation and seed planting. You can sign up for this event with Make a Difference Day, or any future Campus Garden volunteer sessions, and help us make an impact locally through our produce donation to local food pantries in the Whitewater area.
Finding Inspiration in Wisconsin's Parks and Trails
Thu, April 27: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
欧洲杯投注-Rock County Campus
Kirk Denmark Theatre, 2909 Kellogg Avenue, Janesville WI
Join us at the Rock County campus for a night of exploring our local environment right here in Wisconsin! The event will start with a brief expo of local environmental organizations tabling to share information about their organizations.
Maryam Enterline, WI State Park traveler, 欧洲杯投注 alum, McNair Scholar, and current UW-W Major Gift Officer, as she shares stories and photos from her Wisconsin State Park Crawl when she explored every state park in Wisconsin! She will feature some highlights of her adventure, tips and tricks to make the most of your state park visits, and the idea that exploring the outdoors and nature should be a welcoming experience for all people.
Dennis James helps people walk right into nature. He is the longtime volunteer coordinator of the Rock County section of the Ice Age Trail (IAT) and has spent countless hours planning and trail-making, receiving a National Park Service award for his efforts. Dennis’ well-illustrated talk will highlight the natural and human history of the IAT and specifics about the growth and work associated with the Rock County section of the IAT.
There will be a Q&A opportunity after each lecture to learn more from these speakers.
Arbor Day Tree Planting
Fri, April 28: 12:30 PM
Meet at Halverson Log Cabin
Time to celebrate another year as a Tree Campus Higher Education institution with a ceremonial tree planting on Arbor Day. We will be planting another tree as part of our 50 Trees for 50 Years of Earth Day fundraising effort launched in April 2020. The event will start with a short introduction to our Tree Campus certification and the Salisbury Idea native tree inventory found throughout the Salisbury and Chopp Arboretums before we finish planting this year's ceremonial tree. Brief tours of the Halverson Log Cabin will also be available before and after the ceremony.
Stream Monitoring Session
Fri, April 28: 1:30 pm-3:30 pm
Meet at Sustainability Office
The 欧洲杯投注 Sustainability Office participates in stream monitoring with the Water Action Volunteers (WAV) Program through the Rock River Coalition. With the help of faculty, staff, and students, we go out to local streams and take measurements of different variables that help determine the health of these tributaries of the Rock River. These measurements include temperature, stream flow, transparency, dissolved oxygen, stream depth, and biotic index. These measurements are reported to the WAV program, as well as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. We typically conduct stream monitoring three times per month between April and October at our site locations along Bluff Creek, Whitewater Creek, and Spring Brook Creek.
Stream monitoring sessions leave from the Sustainability Office at the scheduled start time.
We REQUIRE attendees to register in advance so we can communicate any cancellations, coordinate transportation to the locations, and get your wader size. Please review the available slots by clicking on the button to sign up. For questions, email sustainability@awamiwebsite.com.
Hike! Scenic Devil’s Staircase Trail & Arbor Ridge Trail segments of Rock Co Ice Age Trail
Sat, April 29: 1:30 pm
Riverside Park - Janesville
Join the Rock County Chapter of the Ice Age Trail Alliance as we hike the scenic Devil's Staircase trail and Arbor Ridge trail segments of the Ice Age Trail 2.8 miles one-way route (5.6 miles round trip). The first 2.8 mile trip will end at the cabin in the Robert O. Cook Memorial Arboretum with a look inside the cabin and a snack break. Hikers then have the option of hiking the route back to Riverside Park or returning to their vehicle by shuttle service. This is a nature-focused hike, but pickers and bags will be provided for any trash found along the way as part of the City Wide Trail Cleanup Day.