UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members kicked off Earth Month with a visit from United Nations Youth Ambassador, AY Young for a series of pop-up concerts and speaking engagements culminating with the inaugural Student-Led Sustainability Summit.
As Earth Month continues, Penn Staters are invited to attend a wide variety of special events and activities throughout the remainder of April.
Celebrating April as Earth Month is an expansion of Earth Day, which was first established over 50 years ago on April 22, 1970. Penn State students helped inaugurate the original Earth Day, organizing a teach-in on the environment, campus art exhibits, film screenings and a political debate between candidates for Pennsylvania state governor. Recognition of the importance of the environment and sustainability continues to grow, so that now Penn State takes a full month to encourage our whole community to take action and get involved in projects, events, and discussions that focus on the urgent need for environmental justice, sustainability, and climate solutions.
“Earth Month at Penn State is an exciting time to engage with a variety of opportunities connecting sustainability and climate action to the Penn State experience,” said Lara Fowler, interim chief sustainability officer and director of the Sustainability Institute. “By focusing on Earth Month in April, our community can learn about opportunities to participate in year-round sustainability related activities.”
Additional opportunities to celebrate Earth Month will be added to the Sustainability Institute (SI) Calendar as event information becomes available. Click here to submit your unit’s Earth Month event to the SI calendar. For more information or questions about the calendar, please contact Sierra Keller at [email protected].
Opportunities to get involved with Earth Month at Penn State include:
Tuesday, April 18, 4 p.m. (in-person, University Park)
- Professor Suzanne Simard – Huck Distinguished Lecture in the Life Sciences; Hosted by the Huck Institutes of Life Sciences
Tuesday, April 18 – May 14, All Day (in-person, State College)
- Bird Friendly Window Exhibit; Hosted by the State College Borough
Wednesday, April 19, 7 p.m. (virtual)
- Intersections Film Series: “A Celebration of Conservation” Short Film Program; Hosted by the Sustainability Institute at Penn State
Friday, April 21, 7 a.m. (in-person, University Park)
- Eat Low with the Rolling Lion; Hosted by Penn State Dining & EcoReps
Friday, April 21, 7 a.m. (in-person, University Park)
- EcoCoin Relaunch; Hosted by the Campus Bookstore & EcoReps
Friday, April 21, 8 a.m. (in-person, University Park)
- Critters at the Creamery; Hosted by EcoReps
Friday, April 21, 11 a.m. (in-person, Schuylkill)
- Earth Day Activity Fair at Penn State Schuylkill; Hosted by Schuylkill Sustainability
Friday, April 21, 10 a.m.-noon (in-person,Hershey)
- Sustainability Facilities Tour - Waste Processing and Central Plant; Hosted by the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Facilities Department
Friday, April 21, 1 p.m. (in-person, Hershey)
- Tree Planting; Hosted by Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Facilities Department
Friday, April 21, 11 a.m. (in-person, University Park)
- A Lexicon for Sustainability; Hosted by EcoReps
Friday, April 21, 11 a.m. (in-person, University Park)
- EarthFest; Hosted by Penn State EcoAction
Saturday, April 22, 8 a.m. (in-person, Centre County)
- 27th Annual Watershed Cleanup Day; Hosted by ClearWater Conservancy
Monday, April 24, 1-6 p.m. (in-person at Shaver’s Creek)
- Eberly College of Science Sustainability Expo; Hosted by Eberly College of Science and Shaver’s Creek
Thursday, April 27, noon (in-person, University Park)
- Sustainable Microbiology Student Research Symposium; Hosted by Schuylkill Sustainability
Thursday, April 27, noon (in-person, University Park)
- Campus and Community Sustainability Expo; Hosted by the Sustainability Institute at Penn State
Friday, April 28, noon (in-person, Schuylkill)
- Arbor Day Tree Planting Ceremony; Hosted by Schuylkill Sustainability
Friday, April 28, noon (in-person, University Park)
- 9th Annual Plant Sale; Hosted by the Student Farm Club
