Earth Week 2019

The fourth week of April (April 22 – 26) is Earth Week and student leaders from UCI’s Sustainability Co-Curricular Working Group (SCWG) have coordinated with campus organizations and departments to offer a week of free giveaways, games, and special events.

UCI’s Earth Week is happening during the Cool Campus Challenge, a friendly UC-wide competition to take sustainability actions that reduce our carbon footprint and promote carbon neutrality. Learn more about the challenge here.

 

The SCWG is a diverse group of campus representatives that include students, staff, and faculty. For information or to join the group, please contact Tyler Valdes, GSRC Program Coordinator, at tsvaldes@uci.edu.

 

The most up-to-date schedule is below. Please check back for updates and changes.

Saturday, April 20

 
Earth Week Beach Cleanup and Picnic
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Huntington Beach
All are welcome to join Climatepedia for a Beach Cleanup with OC Coastkeeper at Huntington State Beach at Tower #2! Carepools are encouraged and rides from UCI are provided by Climatepedia members upon request. Parking is free for all volunteers. Climatepedia will have a picnic after the cleanup from 11-12 pm. Get details on the event here and register for the event here.

Monday, April 22  (Earth Day)

 
Sustainability Fair
11:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Anteater Plaza
ASUCI Sustainability Project Commission will be kicking off Earth Week 2019 with a Sustainability Fair! Come meet different sustainability organizations on and off campus! Participate in activities for various sustainable prizes and giveaways. We will also be holding a clothing drive donations, all clothing will be donated to Zot n Clothes.
Cool Campus Challenge Celebration
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Student Center Terrace Stage
The UCI Global Sustainability Resource Center and UC Carbon Neutrality Initiative Student Engagement Fellow, Samer Khan, will be encouraging the Anteater community to join the Cool Campus Challenge while giving out lots of free swag!
Protecting Against Ocean Plastic Pollution to Save Coral Reefs
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Mitosis Plaza near Starbucks between Natural Sciences I and Biological Sciences III
Come meet Professor Joleah Lamb, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at UCI’s School of Biological Sciences, to hear about her research and findings on diseases affecting coral reefs. She helped discover that plastics, which make up 60 to 80 percent of marine litter, can carry microbes that can sicken and kill corrals. Enjoy spinning the Wheel of Biology to win cool environmentally friendly prizes. Learn more about the event here.
Connecting with Mother Earth Guided Meditation
4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Meet at Zot n Go and then to Aldrich Park
Join Natalie D’Azzo, Wellness and Peer Education Programs Manager, for this guided meditation throughout the beautiful Aldrich Park with a focus on being present with nature, using our senses and having gratitude for Mother Earth.
Ants In Your Plants Community Garden Open Hours
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Ants In Your Plants Garden aka Arroyo Vista (AV) Garden
Join garden supervisors from the GSRC or ASUCI Garden Commission for volunteering in the community garden. Volunteers are needed to help with various projects including weeding, watering, organizing and harvesting produce. Come out to destress, make friends, get some fresh air and enjoy the sunshine. Check the Facebook Group for updates as the open hours are subject to change.
Pledge Drive
8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Various Locations Around Campus
CALPIRG at UCI will be asking for new pledging members and signing petitions to get Assemblywoman Petrinorris to cosponsor a bill for 100% Renewable Buses in California.

Tuesday, April 23

 
Sustainable Foods Fair
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Gateway Plaza
Join UCI Dining & Hospitality and over 25 clubs, organizations, departments and sustainable vendors in celebrating the many facets of sustainable foods, with tasty sustainable samples, local edible plants, activities, raffle prizes and more!
Carbon Offsets Workshop
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Calit2 Room 3008
In support of UC’s Carbon Neutrality Initiative, the University is soliciting ideas from members of the UC community for projects that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or sequester carbon. Under UC’s Carbon Neutrality Initiative, the UC system has committed to reducing its net GHGs from its operations to zero by 2025. Join this free workshop to learn more about carbon offsets and the request for ideas submittal process! RSVP here.
Ants In Your Plants Community Garden Open Hours
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Ants In Your Plants Garden aka Arroyo Vista (AV) Garden
Join garden supervisors from the GSRC or ASUCI Garden Commission for volunteering in the community garden. Volunteers are needed to help with various projects including weeding, watering, organizing and harvesting produce. Come out to destress, make friends, get some fresh air and enjoy the sunshine. Check the Facebook Group for updates as the open hours are subject to change.
Pledge Drive
8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Various Locations Around Campus
CALPIRG at UCI will be asking for new pledging members and signing petitions to get Assemblywoman Petrinorris to cosponsor a bill for 100% Renewable Buses in California.

Wednesday, April 24

 
Wednesday Wellness Walk
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Meet at Zot n Go
Join Natalie D’Azzo, Wellness and Peer Education Programs Manager, for a walk to Mason Park where she will facilitate a guided meditation focused on being in the present moment and manifesting gratitude for the nature that surrounds us.
Community Tree Planting
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Verano Place – Meet at the Community Organic Garden behind the Main Housing Office.
Verano Place and UCI Housing Sustainability will be planting trees around the community as part of our sustainability efforts. Come out and leave your mark in Verano Place and help make the community greener and more sustainable.
Clean Energy Revolution Seminar
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Pacific Ballroom AB
Join Association of Energy Engineers for a seminar on the Clean Energy Revolution: Technologies that are Advancing California’s Sustainability Goals. This event will feature guest speakers from the clean energy industry, including from Altura Associates and Southern California Edison. A networking social complete with food and non-alcoholic beverages will be held after the presentations. It’s the perfect place to learn about California’s ambitious energy goals and network with local energy professionals!
Peace and Justice Week: Building Bridges Across Divides – Racial, Political and Economic
4:15 p.m. – 9:15 p.m.
Pacific Ballroom
Join UCI’s Students for Global Peacebuilding for this event as part of the 7th Annual Peace and Justice Week. The event includes a meet and greet, vegan dinner, music, and panel discussion with prestigious speakers that will explore a range of topics from the humanity of the homeless, climate justice, peace building and facilitating difficult conversations. More details are available here.
Economic Transition in the Anthropocene: Ensuring a Just and Sustainable Future for Humanity – Day One
7:00 p.m.
Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
This conference explores today’s political economy and its role in shaping the Anthropocene and our future. We consider questions relating to power, such as who gets what and why, how power becomes concentrated, and how can we increase opportunity and fairness while displacing entrenched vested interests. We also investigate whether and how business as usual can enable us to live safely within the boundaries of nature, the ultimate arbiter of human well-being. The conference is organized by UCI School of Law Center for Land, Environment, and Natural Resources (CLEANR) and co-sponsored with Partners for a New Economy and the UCI School of Social Ecology. Check out the conference schedule here.
Ants In Your Plants Community Garden Open Hours
7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. & 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Ants In Your Plants Garden aka Arroyo Vista (AV) Garden
Join garden supervisors from the GSRC or ASUCI Garden Commission for volunteering in the community garden. Volunteers are needed to help with various projects including weeding, watering, organizing and harvesting produce. Come out to destress, make friends, get some fresh air and enjoy the sunshine. Check the Facebook Group for updates as the open hours are subject to change.
Pledge Drive
8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Various Locations Around Campus
CALPIRG at UCI will be asking for new pledging members and signing petitions to get Assemblywoman Petrinorris to cosponsor a bill for 100% Renewable Buses in California.

Thursday, April 25

 
UC Natural Reserve System San Joaquin Marsh Reserve Tour
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Meet at the UCI Arboretum on North Campus
Join Dr. Peter Bowler for a tour of the San Joaquin Marsh Reserve which protects a variety of wetland habitats, including marshlands, shallow ponds, and channels confined by earthen dikes. The 202 acre Reserve is adjacent to the main campus and is along the Pacific Flyway where it is a stopping place for over 100 migratory bird species. The marsh also serves as an educational and research location for UCI. 
Sustainability Lunch and Learn Series
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Global Sustainability Resource Center
Join us at the UCI Global Sustainability Resource Center (GSRC) for lunch and student session with an experienced campus or community partner to discuss a wide range of pressing sustainability issues such as political advocacy, community engagement, environmental justice and more. Enjoy an informal discussion with highlighted guest speakers for conversation on the topics that matter the most to us.
Climate Change Escape Room
1:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Dr. White Room at the Cross-Cultural Center
Will you be the change? Join ASUCI Sustainability Project Commission for this interactive event where you will work your way through mazes and puzzles with your fellow anteaters to find various solutions to climate change. 
Economic Transition in the Anthropocene: Ensuring a Just and Sustainable Future for Humanity – Day Two
9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
This conference explores today’s political economy and its role in shaping the Anthropocene and our future. We consider questions relating to power, such as who gets what and why, how power becomes concentrated, and how can we increase opportunity and fairness while displacing entrenched vested interests. We also investigate whether and how business as usual can enable us to live safely within the boundaries of nature, the ultimate arbiter of human well-being. The conference is organized by UCI School of Law Center for Land, Environment, and Natural Resources (CLEANR) and co-sponsored with Partners for a New Economy and the UCI School of Social Ecology. Check out the conference schedule here.
Ants In Your Plants Community Garden Open Hours
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Ants In Your Plants Garden aka Arroyo Vista (AV) Garden
Join garden supervisors from the GSRC or ASUCI Garden Commission for volunteering in the community garden. Volunteers are needed to help with various projects including weeding, watering, organizing and harvesting produce. Come out to destress, make friends, get some fresh air and enjoy the sunshine. Check the Facebook Group for updates as the open hours are subject to change.
Pledge Drive
8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Various Locations Around Campus
CALPIRG at UCI will be asking for new pledging members and signing petitions to get Assemblywoman Petrinorris to cosponsor a bill for 100% Renewable Buses in California.

Friday, April 26

 
UCI Ecological Preserve Tour
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Meet at the corner of Locke and Los Trancos in University Hills
Join Dr. Peter Bowler for a tour of the UCI Ecological Preserve which consists of coastal sage scrub and disturbed grassland habitats and sustains two sensitive bird species. The 60 acre site is on the southern edge of the main campus and is enrolled in the Nature Reserve of Orange County. The Preserve is used for research and is a cherished scenic campus asset.
Zot n Clothes Thrift Shop
11:00 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Ring Room at the Cross Cultural Center
Join ASUCI Sustainability Project Commission for Zot n Clothes, a free thrift shop for students. There will also be an educational component on fast fashion and ethical consumerism. 
Economic Transition in the Anthropocene: Ensuring a Just and Sustainable Future for Humanity – Day Three
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
This conference explores today’s political economy and its role in shaping the Anthropocene and our future. We consider questions relating to power, such as who gets what and why, how power becomes concentrated, and how can we increase opportunity and fairness while displacing entrenched vested interests. We also investigate whether and how business as usual can enable us to live safely within the boundaries of nature, the ultimate arbiter of human well-being. The conference is organized by UCI School of Law Center for Land, Environment, and Natural Resources (CLEANR) and co-sponsored with Partners for a New Economy and the UCI School of Social Ecology. Check out the conference schedule here.
Ants In Your Plants Community Garden Open Hours
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. & 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Ants In Your Plants Garden aka Arroyo Vista (AV) Garden
Join garden supervisors from the GSRC or ASUCI Garden Commission for volunteering in the community garden. Volunteers are needed to help with various projects including weeding, watering, organizing and harvesting produce. Come out to destress, make friends, get some fresh air and enjoy the sunshine. Check the Facebook Group for updates as the open hours are subject to change.
Pledge Drive
8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Various Locations Around Campus
CALPIRG at UCI will be asking for new pledging members and signing petitions to get Assemblywoman Petrinorris to cosponsor a bill for 100% Renewable Buses in California.

Saturday & Sunday, April 27-28

 
Environmental Conservation Alternative Weekend*
Orange County & Los Angeles
Student Coordinators from Campus Organizations and Volunteer Programs have organized an awesome weekend retreat that will focus on giving back to our great Mother Earth! It will give you a chance to reflect on the footprint you leave on Earth and will allow you to engage in direct community service that will ultimately benefit our environment and its ecosystems. Service projects may include beach-clean ups, weed picking, and tree planting. These service opportunities may seem small but they can go a long way when we collaborate as a community in the best interest of this planet we call home. Think green and blue! 
*This trip requires pre-registration that closed on 4/12. The application can be found here.