Earth Day gives people the chance to appreciate Mother Earth and everything she does for us. It also calls for recycling advocacy, recognizing our carbon footprint and more. Earth week of DU-ing consisted of several workshops hosted by the Center for Sustainability, where anyone and everyone could participate in the fun while learning something along the way. There were several volunteer opportunities throughout the week, for students interested in helping out with the Earth Week activities.
Right to Repair Workshop (4/17):
The Right to Repair Workshop took place on the first day of Earth Week in the Community Commons. The event was put on by the Center for Sustainability, but other clubs such as the Fashion and Sewing Club, Guerilla Art Society Club, bike shop, the Alpine Club, food drive, and the Pollination Club were in attendance. Food was catered from Little India for anyone who participated in the activities.
Out of many things to explore within this event, the DU thrift store displayed several items that were torn or ripped in some way or another. They encouraged students to take items for free, as long as they repaired them with the help of the DU sewing club. This activity was meant to promote the idea that things can be fixed, up-cycled and replenished.
According to Dr. Libby Catchings, a writing professor and co-organizer of the Guerilla Art Society Club, this event was “focused on creative reuse and cultivating circularity.”
“We experience a lot of anxiety and climate grief around issues related to the environment and rather than thinking in terms of loss, we wanted to have students experience creative use practice that was hopeful and positive,” said Catchings.
Student creations at the “Right to Repair” workshop // Courtesy of Dr. Libby Catchings
Fashion Fresk (4/18):
The Fashion Fresk Workshop took place on day two of Earth Week in the Community Commons, educating students on the environmental and ethical consequences of the fast fashion industry and what we can do to make a difference through a “fresk,” which comes from a United Nations practice “in which people sit down and create a web of different problems” according to Jacob Tonozzi, the DU Thrift Store manager.
At the table, there were many interactive activities to determine your knowledge and understanding of fast fashion and its impact on society.
“Our whole goal is just to educate students about what fast fashion is and some solutions to how they can contribute to reducing their waste and contribution to the fast fashion industry,” said Tonozzi. “Even if it’s just learning about what fast fashion is if you don’t know what it is, that’s a step in the right direction.”
“Don’t Look Up” Screening and Q&A with David Sirota (4/19):
The third day of Earth Week featured a screening in Margery Reed of the 2021 award-winning film “Don’t Look Up” featuring Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Thrift store market lead Ellie Barnett-Cashman explained the film as a “clear, underlying commentary on government corruption, climate change and civilian ignorance towards present issues.”
“[The film] just lets you think about society in a new way,” said Barnett-Cashman.
The film was followed by a Q&A with screenwriter David Sirota, who answered many questions and encouraged students to “engage in politics and do your part using your privilege to be fighting for the right issues,” according to Barnett-Cashman.
The Center For Sustainability was pretty happy with the turnout, with approximately 50 people in the audience, and more for the Q&A.
The goal of this event was to increase students’ awareness and “cognizance about what’s going on,” said Barnett-Cashman. “Not as much as our roles as individuals but more how it’s a corporate thing that we are trying to combat.”
Climate & Comedy Crisis and Forest Therapy Walk (4/20):
DU’s week of DU-ing just kept getting better. While there were several ways to celebrate the Earth’s gifts on this day, the DU Center for Sustainability had its own fun.
One of Thursday’s events featured a Climate & Comedy Crisis starring Nicole Seymour. Seymour is a professor of English at California State University. She has also published a number of books on the topic of sustainability.
For those that couldn’t make it to the forum, there was also a forest therapy walk in the Harper Humanities Gardens right on campus. Students walked through this beautiful area with climate-aware therapist Kristen Greenwald as a way to relax, take in the nice weather, and reflect on Earth Week and its purpose.
Earth Week Celebration (4/21):
To kick off parents’ weekend and celebrate the Earth for everything it does for us, the Center for Sustainability put on an Earth week celebration, with lots of great food and activities, hosted on the Burwell Center Patio.
This particular event was to celebrate the volunteers who helped the week come together. If you volunteered, you’d get a token which you could trade in for pizza and a drink. Having this event was a way for the Center of Sustainability to show their appreciation for their staff and volunteers who played major roles in making this week go as smoothly as possible.
There were also several clubs tabling at the event, such as the Alpine Club, Guerrilla craft society and Climbing Club.
All in all, it was a great week of DU-ing for students, parents and faculty on campus, thanks to the Center for Sustainability and other clubs and volunteers involved. Keep in mind that while Earth Week is over, we can still take action to combat environmental issues, stay conscious about our own choices, and have fun while doing it!
