April 22, 2023, marks the 53rd anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in the United States in 1970, building upon centuries of environmental protection led by indigenous communities around the globe. Many of us are learning, organizing, and volunteering to honor Earth Day, Week, and Month.
Earth Week Kick Off
10am-2pm
Hosted by: SRC and Student Housing Sustainability
Location: Student Center Terrace
Join the SRC and Student Housing Sustainability at their booth from 10AM – 2PM to talk about Earth Week. We will also have some quick activities for folks to participate in while learning about this week’s opportunities.
The event link can be found here: Event Registration
Climate Literacy Event w/ Dr. Richard Matthew
6pm-7pm
Hosted by: ASUCI Sustainability Project Commission
Location: Student Center Emerald Bay A
Join ASUCI’s Sustainability Project in listening to and learning from UCI Professor Richard Matthew about the significance of climate literacy. Enjoy sustainable snacks and grab a sticker and/or bamboo straw!
Give for the Earth – UCI Giving Day
All day
Hosted by: SRC
Support student opportunities for sustainability by sharing with peers, colleagues, and others the giving day page for the SRC. All funds donated will go directly to supporting experiences for students in sustainability and climate action, such as the Student Leadership Institute for Climate Resilience (SLICR). UCI Giving Day
We will be sharing more information all day on IG (@ucisustainability)
Decarb Talk
10am – 2pm
Hosted by: SRC & UCOP Climate Action Fellow
Location: Ring Road
Join the UC Climate Action Fellow on Ring Road to talk about decarbonization at UCI and other proposed energy potential for UCI. There will be some engaging activities and small giveaways.
Register to attend in advance if desired: Event Registration
UCI “Be a Busy Bee: Volunteer Appreciation Week” Tabling
11am – 2pm
Hosted by: Campus Organizations & Volunteer Programs
Location: Ring Road
Drop by to relax and enjoy the company of others while decorating a mini pot and planting flower seeds or succulent plant (to take home).
Register in advance at this link: Event Registration
Comprehensive Wellbeing Initiative Townhall
11am – 12pm
Hosted by: Center for Student Wellness and Health Promotion
Location: Student Center Pacific Ballroom D
UCI adopted the Okanagan Charter to become a globally recognized Health Promoting University on September 1, 2021. A multidisciplinary leadership team has been working on this since and will be introducing the Comprehensive Wellbeing Initiative (CWI) to the campus community. Come find out how UCI is rapidly becoming a global leader and model campus on what a Health Promoting University looks like.
This event will be in-person and recorded. More information can be found here: Event Link
Zot ‘N Clothes Pop-up Thrift
11am – 2pm
Hosted by: ASUCI Sustainability Project Commission
Location: Ring Road
Thrift Haul. Hey Anteaters! Join ASUCI’s Sustainability Project on Ring Road on Wednesday from 11 to 2 to get a sneak peek of our Zot n Clothes Event! Come take a look at our pop-up promo booth to look forward to what Zot n Clothes will be like. In addition, we will also be providing some amazing tools and tips to help epicycle your clothes.
Earth System Science Department Speaker
3:30pm – 4:30pm
Hosted by: Department of Earth System Science
The ESS department is hosting Associate Project Scientist Bernd Scheuchl for their department seminar.
More information can be found here: Event Link
UCI “Be a Busy Bee: Volunteer Appreciation Week” Service Project
11am – 12:30pm
Hosted by: Campus Organizations & Volunteer Programs
Location: Dr. White Room, Cross-Cultural Center
Drop by anytime between 11am – 12:30pm to participate in a variety of service projects: creating greeting cards for hospital patients or seniors at senior centers, creating an alphabet packet to support literacy, or putting together hygiene kits.
Register in advance here: Event Registration
Clews Seminar Series
3:30pm – 5pm
Hosted by: Clews Group, Watershed, and UCI
Location: ISEB 1200
Join the Clews Group and Watershed at UCI for the Turning Climate Science into Actionable Climate Tech: Insights from Watershed Head of Climate Science Steven Davis.
Sustainability Challenge: Pitching a Sustainable Solution
5pm – 8pm
Hosted by: ANTrepreneur Center
Location: ANTrepreneur Center
Celebrate Earth Week at UCI by joining us for the second event of the Sustainability Challenge. Even if you missed the kickoff event, it’s not too late to participate! Teams must be submitted by April 21st at 9pm.
Undergraduate and graduate students can form teams of five to develop sustainable solutions for crucial environmental issues, with a chance to win $60,000 in prizes.
In addition, there will be a special “Building Backwards” presentation by AWS and a video pitch workshop to help teams create a 3-minute pitch video for the challenge.
Don’t miss the opportunity to network with other students, enjoy food, and have fun while creating an idea to help save the planet!
This event is open to all UCI students, and no business experience is necessary. Let’s celebrate Earth Week at UCI by joining forces and making a difference.
Here is the RSVP link for CampusGroups: https://cglink.me/2eo/r1926664
Annual Tree Planting w/ Student Housing
10am – 12pm
Location: Arroyo Vista Lawn
Annual tree planting is part of UCI’s commitment to sustainable landscaping and healthy urban forests. In partnership with UCI Campus Planning and Sustainability, since 2010, UC Irvine has been recognized as a Tree Campus USA university by the Arbor Day Foundation by meeting five standards developed to promote healthy trees and student involvement. UCI Housing has planted over 1,000 trees already.
You can cultivate countless benefits for UCI and all those living here, just through the simple act of planting a tree. Trees can add beauty and value to the community, help cool the buildings, break the cold winds to lower our heating costs, and reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We need your help to plant trees for a greener, cleaner, and healthier community.
Register here: Event Registration
Plastics & Packaging w/ ASUCI
10am – 2pm
Hosted by: ASUCI Sustainability Project Commission
Location: Ring Road outside of Brandywine
Are you interested in winning some green scrunchies, reusable storage bags, key chains or some That’s It Bars? Come spin ASUCI Sustainability Project’s wheel and learn more about packaging plastics, the Cool Foods Meal program, and more! Join us to learn more about sustainability practices in the UCI community. We can’t wait to see you there!
SRC Earth Day of Service
9am – 11am
Hosted by: SRC with Project Grow
Location: Back Bay Science Center
Join the SRC in volunteering with Project Grow to remove invasive species from the Upper Newport Bay. We will be doing actual work to preserve and conserve our ecosystems, so please plan accordingly.
More information can be found here: Event Registration
Earth Day at the Bay
10am – 4pm
Hosted by: Newport Bay Conservancy
Location: Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center
OC Parks and the Newport Bay Conservancy invite you to attend our annual celebration: Earth Day at the Bay. This free, family-friendly event features environmental-themed exhibits from community partners and local artists. Booths will feature activities which include arts and crafts, science discovery and educational information. There will be live music throughout the day as well as a scavenger hunt complete with prizes. Be sure to enter the opportunity drawing as well! Food trucks will be on site with tasty treats available for purchase.
More information can be found here: Event Link
At the Sustainability Resource Center (SRC), every day is Earth Day! Check out the events calendar and sign up for our Weekly Sustainability Digest for updates on activities taking place through the year.
Want your event featured on the Earth Week website? Email sustainability-center@uci.edu with event details.