Earth Day Events Abound Next Week

Virtual and in-person events and activities will be held for students, faculty, and staff, promoting actions, ideas, and practices that will drive positive change for the planet.
Spring flowers outside The Kendeda Building. Photo by Allison Carter.

Spring flowers outside The Kendeda Building. Photo by Allison Carter.

Every year, Earth Day is celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of protecting our environment. The Tech community will be celebrating Earth Day this year throughout the week of April 19 – 22. Virtual and in-person events and activities will be held for students, faculty, and staff, promoting actions, ideas, and practices that will drive positive change for the planet.

As part of the weeklong celebration, the Tech community was invited to submit designs that encapsulate this year’s theme, which echoes a central tenet of the new Institute strategic plan: Amplify Impact. Civil Engineering graduate Connor Booth won the contest with a design that features a hand with different ecosystems inside.

In-person events will require face coverings and social distancing, and some events will require time-ticket registration. Students are encouraged to complete a daily symptom check and participate in the Covid-19 testing program before participating in the events.

Schedule of Events (View Full Event Details and Updates)

Monday, April 19

  • Earth Week @ the EcoCommons (In-Person)
    • 9:30 – 10:30 a.m., EcoCommons
    • The new EcoCommons opening will be celebrated during a vine-cutting ceremony. RSVP.
  • Katharine Wilkinson — All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis (Virtual)
    • 5 – 6 p.m.
    • Katharine Wilkinson, author and climate change activist, will have a conversation with Denise Quarles, chief city executive of Siemens’s Southeast region, and Chandra Farley of Partnership for Southern Equity. The topic will be the anthology co-edited by Wilkinson and Atanna Johnson: All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis. Register here.
  • Hard to Recycle Materials Dropoff and Clothing Swap
    • April 19 – 22, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Lower Level of The Kendeda Building
    • People can donate items such as bicycles; small appliances including mini fridges, desk lamps, and coffee makers; and more included in this list. The Clothing Swap is a free clothing event where people can shop for free new and gently used clothes.


Tuesday, April 20

  • Virtual EcoCommons Tour
    • Noon – 1 p.m.
    • Jason Gregory, senior planner, and Jerry Young, landscape project manager of the new greenspace, will give a tour of the EcoCommons. Register for the Bluejeans tour here
  • Campus Tree Planting (In-Person)
    • 3 – 5 p.m., Krone Engineered Biosystems Building (EBB)
    • Help transplant trees that have been growing in the campus nursery to spots around campus. Sign up here.
  • Household Hazardous Waste Collection
    • April 20 – 22, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Environmental Health and Safety Building, 793 Marietta Street NW
    • Each member of the Tech community may bring up to five containers of waste to be collected and disposed of at no charge. More information here.


Wednesday, April 21

  • Wellness Wednesday In the EcoCommons (In-Person)
    • 11 a.m –2 p.m., EcoCommons
    • A range of activities will be planned including yoga, bike repair, campus resources, and more. Register here
  • Unveiling of the Site Marker for the Former Pickrick Restaurant (In-Person)
    • 1:30 – 2:30 p.m., EcoCommons (Invite Only)
    • Lester Maddox gained notoriety in the wake of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for shutting down his restaurant rather than serve Black customers. Georgia Tech bought the property, and a marker stands on the site to educate the community about the events that took place there.


Thursday, April 22

  • International Earth Day (In-Person)
    • 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., The Kendeda Building Patio
    • A range of activities will be hosted including DIY projects (painting, clothing decoration, green cleaning, and personal care products), with food to enjoy. From 12:30 to 2 p.m., the student organization, SMILE, will join students for a special planting. RSVP here.
  • Earth Day Bird Walk with Georgia Audubon (In-Person)
    • 8 – 11 a.m., The Kendeda Building Patio and EcoCommons
    • There will be a bird walk hosted by experts to observe birds around the campus community and learn about building collisions and the importance of designing bird-safe glass. RSVP here.
  • Green Meeting (Virtual)
    • 6 – 7 p.m.
    • Students Organizing for Sustainability and the SGA sustainability committee will host this semester’s Green Meeting, which brings together students to discuss the sustainability-related work they do. Students will also discuss building a permanent green coalition. RSVP here.


Friday, April 23

  • Movie Night Under the Stars (In-Person)
    • 7 – 9:30 p.m., Stamps Field
    • Enjoy a free screening of the Disney movie WALL-E.   Register here.

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