Mother’s Day may still be more than a month away, but Mother Earth will still take centre stage during the month of April as Western joins the global celebration of Earth Month. Visit sustainability.uwo.ca for further event details and a full schedule. Among the upcoming events:
EnviroWestern’s World Water Week. Wednesday-Friday, March 19-21. During the three days leading up to World Water Day, March 22, EnviroWestern has planned a documentary screening, speaker session and tradeshow. These events will highlight today’s demand for water, water usage at Western and ways to conserve.
Rez Powers Down. Sunday-Saturday, March 23-April 5. For the second time this academic year, students living on campus will be encouraged to compete in Rez Powers Down, a two-week energy conservation challenge. Along with a broad range of student-lead initiatives during the challenge, Hospitality Services will provide local and vegan food options as well as set up a candle-light dinner in all of the residence eateries. Visit facebook.com/rezpowersdown for details.
Sustainability Photo Challenge. All students, staff and faculty are encouraged to submit a photo showing their commitment to sustainability. Deadline is Wednesday, March 26.
Eco-Action Day. Friday, March 28. Western’s London Youth Sustainability Network has planned a fun afternoon packed with sustainability-related activities, dialogue and videos. Eco-Action Day is a collaborative event that aims to encourage personal sustainability. Register at ecoactionday.eventbrite.com.
World Earth Hour. 8:30-9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29. On the last Saturday of March, the world joins together to turn the lights out from 8:30-9:30 p.m. Earth Hour is the world’s largest call for action on climate change and continues to grow every year. For the hour, Western’s Environmental System Control group will shut off all non-essential air-handling units on campus to cut back on energy consumption.
Green Awards Ceremony. Monday, March 31. The seventh annual Green Awards Ceremony will be held from 12-1 p.m. in Mustang Lounge East. Stop by and learn about some of the exciting sustainability work members of the Western community are involved in.
Campus Clean Up. Tuesday, April 1. The event is open to all students, staff and faculty at Western, and is a great way to show appreciation for the university’s beautiful campus. Three clean-up times will be held throughout the day: 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. After each group returns from their clean-up, they will receive a free BBQ lunch. If interested, email sustainability@uwo.ca and indicate in which time slot you would like to volunteer.
Earth Day Colloquium. Wednesday and Thursday, April 9-10. Organized by graduate students at Western, the free event brings together the knowledge and research of undergraduate and graduate students and community members involved in environment and sustainability. Visit uwo.ca/enviro/Colloquium/EDC2014 for more information.