Earth Day is Saturday, April 22

This April, Carolina celebrates planet Earth all month long. Sustainable Carolina, along with other University departments and student organizations, have events planned to bring awareness to environmental efforts and sustainability.

Plan an Earth Event in April

Is your University department planning an event in April to celebrate Earth? Fill out this form by March 31 and we’ll add your event to our list: https://sustainable.unc.edu/celebrate-planet-earth-event-form/

T-Shirt Design Contest

First-year student Carolina Tintinger won our t-shirt design contest with her artistic rendition of the Old Well. Instead of columns, it has tree trunks with twisting vines. The characteristic blue-green hue on the top of the rotunda is replaced with an illustration of part of a globe. We printed 250 shirts to give away at our Earth Day festival on April 20.

April’s Earth Events

UNC Science Expo

Host: Morehead Planetarium & Science Center

Date: Saturday, April 1 @ 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Location: Areas surrounding the planetarium building

Celebrate science with the community at this annual event. Sustainable Carolina will have a table with hands-on activities demonstrating on renewable energy.

Film Screening – Angel of Alabama

Host: UNC Epsilon Eta

Date: Monday, April 10 @ 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Location: Genome 100

Epsilon Eta hosts a screening of Angel of Alabama follows the story of Brenda Hampton and her fight against PFAS, or “forever” chemicals.

Climate Action Day

Host: Graduate & Professional Student Government

Date: Thursday, April 13 @ 12 – 2:30 p.m.

Location: The Pit

Climate Action Day is your chance to explore the impact of community-driven actions and partnerships in environmental justice, climate-oriented clubs, and opportunities to engage in community initiatives around the state designed to effect positive change. Featuring networking in the Pit, a special recycling station, a clothes and food donation drive, a seed-planting station, green film screening, and a green business case competition, Climate Action Day is for students, by students.

Research Symposium

Host: Sustainable Carolina

Date: Monday, April 17 @ 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Location: Wilson Library Pleasants Family Assembly Room

Sustainable Carolina brings together researchers from STEM fields, business, law and more. Presenters from across Carolina join us for engaging, 10-minute presentations.

Campus Clean-Up

Host: Sustainable Carolina

Date: Wednesday, April 19

Location: TBD

Grab your closed-toe shoes and join Sustainable Carolina for a campus clean-up. Reflective vests, trash pickers, gloves, and trash bags will be provided.

Earth Day Farmers’ Market

Host: Carolina Dining Services

Date: Thursday, April 20 @ 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Location: The Pit

Carolina Dining Services is hosting a special farmers’ market to celebrate Earth Day. Student organizations will be tabling at this event.

Earth Day Festival

Host: Sustainable Carolina

Date: Thursday, April 20 @ 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Location: Rams Head Plaza

Join us for the big celebration! We’ll be handing out t-shirts, Maple View Ice Cream, and raffle prizes, and gathering for some social time before the semester wraps up.

Carolina Advocates for Climate, Health and Equity 2023 Symposium

Host: CACHE

Date: Friday, April 21 @ 12:30 – 4:45 pm

Location: Virtual

This virtual, inaugural symposium seeks to advance sustainable healthcare in North Carolina and to improve resilience, mitigate climate change, and promote equity. Physicians, resident physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, allied health, public health, healthcare administrators and leadership, students, community health workers, and community members. Presenters include members of UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and UNC School of Medicine.

Haiti Benefit Earth Day Festival

Host: Two Mules for Haiti

Date: Saturday, April 22 @ 13 – 5 p.m.

Location: The Farm (UNC Staff/Faculty Recreation Facility)

After a morning of planting trees and cleaning stream banks, join Two Mules in celebrating Earth Day with local bands and food trucks at the Haiti Benefit Festival at The Farm. Two Mules for Haiti is a non-profit founded by two UNC alumni that partners with farming communities in rural Haiti.

How better to invest in our planet on Earth Day than by supporting Haitian farmers in their effort to develop regenerative agricultural practices that promote reforestation and carbon sequestration? Enjoy the music, taste the flavor of Haiti, and learn how you can partner with Haitian families to restore their environmental heritage. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets, listen to the music of Taxicab Preacher, the Marigold Collective, and Shades of Blue. Bon Fritay food truck, Haitian coffee, chocolate, and art will be available. There is no fee to attend, but visit our website to learn how to become a sponsor or volunteer.

Celebration of Undergraduate Research

Host: Office of Undergraduate Research

Date: Wednesday, April 26 @ 2 – 5 p.m.

Location: Blue Zone of Kenan Stadium

Sustainable Carolina partners with the Office of Undergraduate Research to offer a cash prize for a student with a project exemplifying sustainability. When entering your work for the Celebration of Research, please also submit your poster and abstract to us through this form to have your project considered.

Battle Grove BioBlitz

Host: Sustainable Carolina

Date: Friday, April 28

Location: Battle Grove

Celebrate LDOC with Sustainable Carolina. Observe crayfish, toads, birds and more! Observations will be entered into the iNaturalist app to track our findings.