Join the Sustainability Office for Earth Month 2021! While we can't be together in person this year, we can still collectively build a more sustainable community from home.
This four-week challenge will encourage you to take action on four different weekly themes: sustainable food, waste reduction, connecting with nature, and promoting wellness.
Challenge overview | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Prizes | Terms and conditions
So how does it work?
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Register for the challenge on the Earth Month 2021 challenge registration page
- Each week, we'll share a list of five actions and we encourage you to take as many as you can. The list will be shared via email and social media, and is also listed below.
- At the end of each week, let us know what actions you took on the challenge submission form to be entered into our prize draw. You can submit once per week during the four-week challenge, for a total of four submissions.
- We'll share an update on our collective impact each week and at the end of the challenge. It's so important to remember what we can accomplish when we work together!
How many meaningful actions can we take together as a campus community?
WEEK 1: Sustainable Food (March 29 - April 2)
This week, we encourage you to look for opportunities to support sustainable food systems.
- Eat a plant-based meal
- Purchase a local food product to support a local farmer or local grocer
- Use leftover food bits or food scraps in a meal or repurpose into a non-food use
- Try regrowing produce from food scraps
- Look for food with a sustainable certification (e.g. Fair Trade, MSC Seafood, or Organic)
You are welcome and encouraged to take other actions that support sustainable food choices as well!
WEEK 2: Waste Reduction (April 5 - 9)
This week, we encourage you to look for opportunities to reduce your waste.
- Use reusable items to avoid disposable waste (e.g. containers/bags/straws/beeswax wrap)
- Look for an item secondhand instead of buying new
- Repair damaged items/clothing instead of buying new
- Put organic material into an organics/compost bin
- Check sorting rules in your area before you throw away waste
You are welcome and encouraged to take other actions that help to reduce waste as well!
WEEK 3: Connecting with Nature (April 12 - 16)
This week, we encourage you to look for opportunities to connect with nature.
- Explore a local trail or park
- Help clean up litter in your community (*safely following COVID-19 guidelines)
- Use pollinator-friendly plants when planning your garden (yard or container!)
- Take care of an indoor plant
- Make your own cleaning products with non-toxic, natural materials
You are welcome and encouraged to take other actions that help you connect with nature as well!
WEEK 4: Promoting Wellness (April 19 - 23)
This week, we encourage you to look for opportunities to promote your wellness.
- Make a DIY sustainable self-care product (e.g. body scrub, lip balm)
- Exercise outdoors
- Take an hour (or more) to unplug - literally!
- Eat fruits and/or vegetables and drink water every day
- Educate yourself on local sustainability issues
You are welcome and encouraged to take other actions that support your personal wellness as well!