Earth Week 2026

Earth Week 2026 will be held April 18-26.  Students, faculty and staff are invited to reflect on their habits and explore their impact on the environment. With a variety of events and activities, Earth Week fosters awareness, dialogue and action toward a more sustainable and equitable future.

EARTH WEEK COMPETITION

Attend as many events as you can for your chance to win! First, second and third place winners will be determined by those who attend the most events throughout the week. There will be one set of student winners and another set of faculty/staff winners.

PRIZES

First Place: $25 Phoenix Cash, hammock, sustainability prize pack (beeswax wrap, t-shirt, water bottle, utensil kit, straw, reusable bag)
Second Place: hammock, sustainability prize pack
Third Place: hammock

EARTH WEEK SCHEDULE

The below schedule will continue to be updated through March 1, 2026.

Saturday, April 18

SUSTAINABLE DAY OF SERVICE | VARIOUS TIMES & LOCATIONS

9:30 AM-12:30 PM | GARDEN WORK DAY | MORROWTOWN COMMUNITY GARDEN (Transportation Provided)

1:30-4:30 PM | KAYAK CLEAN UP | LOCATION TBD (Transportation Provided)

Monday, April 20

9 AM-5 PM | CAREER CLOSET | LOCATION TBD

11:30 AM-1 PM | SOOTHING SOUNDS OF SUCCULENTS | NUMEN LUMEN SACRED SPACE (REGISTRATION ENCOURAGED)
Step into a space designed to help you slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect. Soothing Sounds & Sprouts is a mental-health-centered gathering where calming music and hands-on planting come together to nurture you.

Enjoy a curated soundscape of gentle, restorative music; learn how different sounds can impact mood; and plant your own small herb to take home—a living reminder of growth, care, and resilience. We will share simple grounding practices you can use anytime stress feels overwhelming and use our senses to be more present.

Whether you stay for five minutes or the full experience, this event invites you to pause, reset, and tend to yourself—because just like plants, we thrive when we receive light, care, and space to grow.

4-6 PM | POP UP SWAP SHOP | DOWNSTAIRS MOSELEY
Bring your gently used clothing to swap for something new-to-you. No clothing to bring? No problem! You can commit to a sustainable habit to earn free clothing. The Pop Up Swap Shop runs in downstairs Moseley every Monday (4-6 pm) and Friday (3:30-6 pm) during the Spring 2026 semester.

4:15-5:30 PM | BOOK DISCUSSION – SAVING US: A CLIMATE SCIENTIST’S CASE FOR HOPE AND HEALING IN A DIVIDED WORLD | LOY FARM (REGISTRATION ENCOURAGED)
In preparation for Katharine Hayhoe’s keynote address on Wednesday, April 22 join Faculty Fellow for Sustainability Scott Morrison for a book discussion about Hayhoe’s most recent book. Light snacks will be provided for those who register.

5:30-6:30 PM | FOOD FOR THOUGHT | CREDE
Food For Thought is a monthly town hall gathering in the CREDE where they hold informal discussions around a variety of topics.

Tuesday, April 21

9:40-10:20 AM | COLLEGE COFFEE
Stop by the Office of Sustainability’s table at College Coffee to learn about sustainability efforts on campus.  Don’t forget your reusable mug to enter to win $100 Phoenix Cash!

4-5 PM | STARS CELEBRATION | LAKESIDE MEETING ROOMS
Celebrate Elon University’s most recent Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) Report with food, interactive activities and exciting prizes! Learn about Elon’s sustainability efforts, connect with others and discover opportunities to support sustainability at Elon. This event is open to all students, faculty and staff.

Wednesday, April 22

12-2 PM | TOTE-ALLY SUSTAINABLE | LOCATION TBD
Join us  to paint your own reusable tote bag while learning about how to reduce waste!

5-6:30 PM | BELTANE CELEBRATION | ELON COMMUNITY GARDEN
Beltane is a time of renewal, protection, and community where people can come together to share stories, offerings for deities, and have fun by dancing and making crafts. Beltane is historically a practical agricultural and seasonal holiday signifying the start of the growing seasons and time of abundance. Come celebrate together by making flower crowns, mini maypoles, and enjoying good food!

7-8 PM | EARTH WEEK KEYNOTE: KATHARINE HAYHOE, “SOLVING CLIMATE CHANGE STARTS WITH US (BUT NOT THE WAY YOU THINK!)”
“What can I do?” is most people’s top climate question. The truth is, while our personal choices matter, the most important action any of us can take isn’t changing a lightbulb, eating a plant-based burger, or buying an electric vehicle (EV). Drawing on lessons from science, history, and social movements, Dr. Hayhoe shows how using our voices to call for systemic change is the first step towards catalyzing the tipping points that will help us build a better future. Solving climate change does start with us—but in ways far more powerful than we might imagine.

Katharine Hayhoe is the Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy and a Horn Distinguished Professor and Endowed Professor of Public Policy and Public Law at Texas Tech University. She has served as a lead author for the Second, Third, and Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessments. She is the author of the best-selling book “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World.” Hayhoe has been named to lists including the TIME 100 Most Influential People and Fortune’s 50 World’s Greatest Leaders.

Sponsored by the Office of Sustainability, the Environmental Studies Department, Facilities Management, the School of Communications, the Sustainable Enterprises program, and the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life

9-10 PM | S’MORES WITH OUTDOORS | BECK POOL PATIO
Join Elon Outdoors and the Eco-Reps for a special Earth Week S’mores with Outdoors! Make your own sustainable bug spray so that you can enjoy more time outdoors.

Thursday, April 23

9:50-10:30 AM | NUMEN LUMEN | NUMEN LUMEN PAVILION 110
The challenges we face expand our perspectives. The moments that leave us speechless have the power to change lives. The stories we tell help us to make sense of these challenges, moments, and everything in between.

Grounding ourselves in this moment is how we show up in an unexpected and ever-changing world.

This week’s speaker is Becca Bishopric Patterson, associate director of the GLC

5-7 PM | PARTY FOR THE PLANET | MOSELEY WEST LAWN
Celebrate sustainability with fun activities and live entertainment! This event will also feature a swap shop where students can trade their gently used clothes for new (gently used) clothes.

Friday, April 24

PIZZA & PRAYERS FOR THE PLANET | VARIOUS TIMES | MCBRIDE GATHERING SPACE (NUMEN LUMEN)
Join the Truitt Center’s Rabbi Maor Greene, Father Peter Tremblay, and Imam Shane Atkinson for Earth Week themed sermons and guided discussion on being caretakers of the natural world. All are welcome to attend one or all of the following sessions:  

12:15-12:45 PM – Catholic Mass

12:45-1:15 PM – Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Maor

1:15-1:30 PM – Jumuah Prayer

3-5 PM | BLOOM WITH PRIDE | LOCATION TBD

3:30-6 PM | POP UP SWAP SHOP | DOWNSTAIRS MOSELEY
Bring your gently used clothing to swap for something new-to-you. No clothing to bring? No problem! You can commit to a sustainable habit to earn free clothing. The Pop Up Swap Shop runs in downstairs Moseley every Monday (4-6 pm) and Friday (3:30-6 pm) during the Spring 2026 semester.

Sunday, April 26

1-3 PM | ZERO WASTE BASEBALL GAME | LATHAM PARK