EarthFest 2023

A series of collaborative events throughout the month of April in honor of Earth Day, featuring topics of zero waste, environmental justice, climate action, sustainable food, wellness and more.

The Office of Sustainability is excited to invite members of the campus community to join us for EarthFest 2023! Over the next few weeks, EarthFest will feature several collaborative campus events on a variety of topics including environmental justice, climate anxiety, zero waste, sustainable food, energy and much more!

Join us and our many amazing campus partners in celebrating the Earth and finding new ways to get involved in sustainability this year. Some of our collaborators for EarthFest 2023:

  • The Zero Waste Working Group
  • Off-Campus Study
  • Green Advisors
  • President's Sustainability Research Fellows
  • The Environmental Justice & Community Resilience program
  • Speak2Swatties
  • The Intercultural Center
  • Facilities
  • Scott Arboretum

You can find the EarthFest calendar of events below and our social media (@swatsustain). Events will be added and updated here so remember to check back regularly!

  • WEEK 1
    • Zero Waste Engagement Session   -   Thursday, March 30, 4:30-6pm in the Scheuer Room
      In June 2022, Swarthmore College adopted a Zero Waste Plan, which establishes new goals for becoming a zero waste campus by 2035. The Office of Sustainability recently published the 2022 Zero Waste Report, which provides an overview of our annual Waste Characterization Study results, as well as recommendations to increase diversion and reduce per capita waste on campus. All campus members are encouraged to attend the 2nd campus engagement session to learn more about both the plan and report on campus, as well as share feedback about effective zero waste initiatives and possible barriers with the Zero Waste Working Group.
  • WEEK 2
    • Sustainability Abroad Panel   -   Monday, April 3, 4:30-5:30pm in Singer Hall 034/35

      Curious about connecting sustainability to study abroad experiences? Join the Off-Campus Study Office for the "Sustainability Abroad" student panel, as part of EarthFest. Hear from fellow students about their experiences and insights on sustainability-focused programs while studying abroad. Snacks provided!

    • Powerlands Film Screening & Talk   -   Tuesday, April 4, 2023, Science Center 101, 7:00pm-8:15pm (screening), 8:15pm-9:00pm (Zoom discussion with filmmaker)
      Ivey Camille Manybeads Tso is an award-winning, queer Diné/Navajo filmmaker, producer, director, scriptwriter, and actor.  Manybeads Tso’s newest film, Powerlands (2022) is a personal and political journey across three continents investigating the displacement of Indigenous peoples and the devastation of the environment caused by a muti-national corporation that has exploited the land and lives of Indigenous communities around the world, including the Navajo Reservation where she was born. Please join the Environmental Justice & Community Resilience program for a special screening and discussion with the filmmaker. Refreshments provided.

    • EarthFest Scavenger Hunt   -   April 7 to April 14, All Campus (Kickoff - April 7, 12-2pm, Parrish Circle. Prize Ceremony - April 14, 1-3pm, Parrish Beach (Shane Lounge in rain))
      Explore campus and learn more about sustainability on this campus-wide Scavenger Hunt organized by the Green Advisors! Complete tasks such as talking to sustainability staff, helping to sort compost, or joining a foraging walk, in order to earn points towards some fun sustainable prizes. Get started with instructions and the list of challenges here. 

    • Cooper Series Nature Beatboxing Workshop   -   Saturday April 8, 10 am - 12 pm, Scheuer Room, Kohlberg Hall
      Award-winning sound artist Jason Singh composes using nature-based sounds, such as electrical impulses in plants. Through art, science, and activism, Singh’s virtual residency will engage the College community and the public with our hyper-local environment, the Crum Woods, and explore the nature that surrounds us in a new way. This workshop will explore working with wildlife and nature sounds and how to integrate them into traditional musical beatboxing.

    • Cooper Series: Gathering Sounds from Nature   -   Sunday April 9, 10-10:45 am, Zoom
      Be part of a musical collaboration! Jason Singh will instruct community members on ways to find and record sounds from nature; Jason will compose the collected sounds into a collaborative musical piece that will be released on Earth Day. All are welcome, but please register in advance.

    • Climate Wellness Walk w/ Speak2Swatties   -   Sunday April 9, 1:30-3:30pm, Crum Woods
      Are you interested in taking a relaxing stroll through Crum Woods or discussing the complex feelings around climate change and climate anxiety? Join Speak2Swatties for the Climate Wellness Walk, to connect with peers and create journals on your experience (journals provided). If you are interested, fill out this form by April 7.

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  • WEEK 3

    • Energized for Energy Tabling   -   Monday April 10, 10am-12pm, Kolhberg Breezeway
      Learn more about the 20X35 energy plan and share your questions and comments. PSRF Olivia Fey will be tabling to engage students around the 20X35 energy plan as part of her PSRF project. Coffee and snacks will be provided.

    • Cristina Martínez and Sustainable Practices  -   Wednesday April 12, 5pm, IC Dome
      In celebration of CARE Week, the IC, in collaboration with the Office of Sustainability and ENLACE, is hosting Season SZN with guest chef Cristina Martínez! Chef Martínez is the owner of acclaimed Mexican restaurant South Philly Barbacoa. Cristina will be leading a tortilla making workshop, followed by a talk and dinner from Cristina's restaurant! Maximum 40 attendees (students/staff/faculty welcome) - please sign up here!

    • Crum Creek CleanUp   -   Thursday, April 13, 9am - 12pm, Crumhenge
      Students, staff, faculty and community members are welcome to join the Scott Arboretum for the Crum Creek CleanUp! Pizza and refreshments will be provided for all volunteers. Please dress appropriately with closed-toe shoes. Meet at the end of the Fieldhouse Lane in the fames R. Frorer Holly Collection. Please RSVP by calling 610-328-8025 or emailing scott@swarthmore.edu.

    • EarthFest Scavenger Hunt Prize Ceremony  -   April 14, 1-3pm, Parrish Beach (Shane Lounge in rain)
      Still need to get started on the scavenger hunt? Find all of the info here! Then, join us to announce and celebrate the winners of the Sustainability Scavenger Hunt. All participants will receive a small gift and there will be first and second prizes for the two participant that have earned the most points! 

    • Art in the Garden with Kitao Gallery   -     Sunday, April 16, 1:30-3:30pm, Garden Collective
      Join students from the Office of Sustainability, Kitao, C4, and the Ecofeminism(s) class in the Garden Collective to plant seedlings and paint a community mural! We will be painting the tables and chairs in the garden inspired by critical questions around food, liberation, and justice. The creation of the community mural will be led by Amir Khadar '22, an artist, designer, and educator primarily working through poetry, fiber art, and digital art. These mediums guide their conceptual explorations into gender theory, Black diasporic ecologies, aesthetic politics, and ancestral practices. Hope to see you there!

  • WEEK 4
    • Talk with Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs   -   Thursday, April 20, 7pm, Science Center 101
      'We Finally Had to Understand Ourselves (As Planets)': An Ecological Oracle. Join the Environmental Justice & Community Resilience program for a talk with Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs, queer black feminist, poet, and author of Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals which won the 2022 Whiting Award in Nonfiction. 
    • What the Well?   -   Friday, April 21, 10am - 1pm, Foulk Walk (top of Parrish Lawn)
      As we approach Earth Day, join the Office of Sustainability for "What the Well?" - an interactive event featuring opportunities to learn more about the geoexchange wells, such as seeing wellfield equipment up close and connecting with sustainability staff on the To Zero By Thirty-Five energy plan (20X35). This event will also highlight a plant giveaway that incorporates topsoil directly from the Mertz lawn, plus 20X35 t-shirts and stickers! We hope to see you there!
    • Fix-a-flat & Bike Maintenance Workshop   -   Friday, April 21, 12:30-2:30pm, Dero Fixit Station behind Parrish Hall
      Is your bike, or a friend's bike, sadly sitting on a rack waiting for you to repair it? Workshop attendees will have the opportunity to learn and practice how to fix a flat tire and basic maintenance under the guidance of our friends from Neighborhood Bike Works (NBW). If you would like to bring your bike to the event, please let us know; we can guarantee working space for 8 attendees. Even if we can't accommodate your bike or you don't have a bike to bring, please come to observe and ask questions! This event is sponsored by Swarthmore Recreation & Wellness and is part of The Office of Sustainability's Green Advisors and Sustainability Advocates Programs. Registration required.
    • Cooper Series: Land:Scapes: Meditative Guided Walks   -   Saturday, April 22 (7-8 AM, 12-1 PM, and 7-8 PM), Front of Parrish Hall
      These mindful and meditative walks aim to inspire participants to acknowledge our landscape as a constantly transforming, living composition by using the body as a holistic listening instrument. This is a rain or shine event; weather appropriate clothing and closed-toed shoes are recommended. These 1 hour walks will be led by different community members starting at 7 AM, 12 PM, and 7 PM. All walks will start by meeting in front of Parrish Hall; join us for one or for all! Learn more here.
  • BONUS EVENTS

More events to be announced soon! Please reach out to sustainability@swarthmore.edu with any questions or concerns.