University to celebrate ‘Earth Semester’ for 50th Earth Day

Academic Affairs and the Office of Sustainability are collaborating to expand the University’s annual Earth Month celebration to “Earth Semester” in recognition of this year’s 50th Earth Day.

Traditionally observed April 22, Earth Day has been celebrated since 1970. In recent years, the University’s Earth Month expanded to increase awareness beyond one day. Last year marked the largest event yet and featured an Earth Day Festival in Belk Plaza.

“We hope that by expanding from a day, to a month, to a semester, the campus community will start to recognize the impact of sustainable practices on our planet and make year-round changes on campus and at home,” said Mike Lizotte, University sustainability officer.

This year’s Earth Semester includes campus-wide events hosted by faculty, staff and students, all with sustainability-focused topics. Some events include partnerships with state and regional organizations. Nicole Peterson, associate professor of Anthropology, led the planning for Earth Semester while serving as a Provost’s Fellow.

“Earth Semester made a first impression in fall when Academic Affairs published a list of sustainability courses for students to consider during registration. Since January, we have been promoting many stimulating speakers, films and discussions that our faculty generated to help us understand people and our planet,” said Peterson.

“I want to acknowledge those faculty who have already adopted a sustainability focus to their courses and challenge other faculty to provide stimulating speakers, discussions and films throughout this semester,” said Lizotte.

Highlighted events for Earth Semester include:

• March 6, 13, 20 and 27 – Live art performance meets environmental science as Andrea Polli’s “Particle Falls: Air Made Visible” returns to Charlotte
• March 19 – Join the Facilities Management Department in planting trees around campus
• April 1 – Celebrate the 50th Earth Day by visiting the Earth Day Festival in Belk Plaza; this event will include vendors and food
• April 9 – Join the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling in the semiannual campus cleanup to help beautify the campus by collecting litter
• April 22 – Co-hosted with the Carolina Raptor Center, Earth Optimism CLT is the first Charlotte offering of the Smithsonian Institution’s Earth Optimism series, showcasing local, replicable success stories for saving the planet
• April 23 – For the third year, the English Department is collaborating with the Botanical Gardens for ”Gardens and Verses,” performances that focus on the relationship between humans and the non-human world
• April 28 – The Earth Club is sponsoring “Party for the Planet,” a student gathering to cap off Earth Semester.

A full listing of Earth Semester events can be found online.