In April, UW-Eau Claire is hosting a wide spread of activities to promote sustainability across campus. The events are to have staff and students perform hands-on activities to learn new initiatives. 

State of Sustainability

From noon to 1 p.m. on April 9, the Administrative Office of Sustainability (AOS) hosted an event to reflect on the current “state of sustainability.” This year the presentation covered decarbonization opportunities at UW-Eau Claire from 2024-2050.

AOS graduate student Henry Scamehorn said this is the only event the office focused on, the rest were planned by the Student Office of Sustainability (SOS).

The Amazing Eau Claire Clean-Up 

From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on April 20, the Eau Claire Parks, Recreation and Forestry is sending volunteers to various locations throughout the city to pick up garbage.

Volunteers can go independently or as a group. T-shirts, garbage bags and local discounts will be provided for each volunteer. 

This event is designed to help not only clean up Eau Claire but also for the community to come together and work closely all while making a difference one piece of trash at a time.

Registration information can be found here. The last day to register is noon on April 12.

Earth Claire

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 22, SOS is hosting a “fair-like tabling event.” There will be different games, foods, giveaways, music, and demonstrations for guests to participate in to learn more about environmental and sustainability-focused organizations.

SOS Senate Director Sydney McGuine said they hand out punch cards that guests punch at every table they stop at to later turn in for prizes. She said participants with punch cards can get pizza, desserts and lemonade.

Blugold Makerspace Earth Week Activities

The week of April 22-25, the Blugold Makerspace is hosting a multitude of eco crafts for Earth Week.

On April 22 at the campus mall, there will be stations to create bubble paper and t-shirt tote bags. From 1-2 p.m. on April 23, the Makerspace has places to make frozen paper screen printing. From 1-2 p.m. on April 24, there is a Mending 101 event and from 2-3 p.m. on April 25, there is decorating a bookend event.

Eau Claire County Earth Week Open House

From 4-8 p.m. on April 25, the Brewing Projekt is having an event for 21+ individuals to learn about eco-friendly services in Chippewa Valley. There will be over 30 vendors present and prizes for participants. 

McGuine said sustainability is important across campus because it affects everyone’s day-to-day life.

“[Sustainability] can apply to everybody,” McGuine said. “No matter your major or what you’re interested in, it affects us all.”

The SOS’s most recent project to help promote sustainability on campus was to have more composting locations on Upper Campus. McGuine said they started in The Suites and recently added more compost bins to Oak Ridge and Bridgman. 

Scamehorn said students can be more involved in leading a sustainable lifestyle by partaking in these activities but can help promote sustainability on campus by taking AOS surveys when they are sent out throughout the semester.

Boggess can be reached at [email protected].