There are several events taking place for Earth Week this year. Attend as many events as you can for a chance to win various prizes.
Earth Week will be held April 18 to April 26 and is a great way for members of the Elon community to examine their own habits and perceptions surrounding sustainability.
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend as many events as you can for your chance to win various prizes! 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. More competition details may be viewed on the Office of Sustainability’s website.
Huria Tahiry ‘26, environmental justice intern for Elon’s Office of Sustainability, has attended several Earth Week events over the past three years, and says that Earth Week is “a wonderful opportunity to learn, make new friends, have fun, and take a moment to appreciate the Earth.” Tahiry is particularly excited for this year’s Earth Week, since there will be more events than any previous year.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Saturday, April 18
SUSTAINABLE DAY OF SERVICE | VARIOUS TIMES & LOCATIONS (TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED) (REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
9 – 12 p.m. | PARK REVITALIZATION WITH ALAMANCE COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION
Help restore one of the local Alamance parks that serves the whole community! The event will be at Swepsonville River Park (2472 Boywood Rd. Swepsonville N.C.) The activities will include repainting the entrance gate, and staining two Kiosks, and a couple of park benches.
Transportation will be provided from the Elon Express Bus Stop between Inman Admissions and the Library
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | MORROWTOWN COMMUNITY GARDEN WORK DAY | MORROWTOWN COMMUNITY GARDEN
Spend time outdoors, connect with others, and support a space that provides fresh food and connection opportunities in Burlington! Come get your hands dirty, learn something new, and be part of growing something meaningful together. The Morrowtown Community Garden was founded and is managed by the Morrowtown Community Group, which was formed to inspire positive social and environmental change for a diverse community in Burlington that deserves to thrive. Participants should wear clothing and shoes they don’t mind getting dirty. Please bring a reusable water bottle and sunscreen. Transportation to the event will be from the Elon Express spot outside of the library.
1:30 – 4:30 p.m. | KAYAK CLEAN UP | LAKE MACKINTOSH
Take care of local Lake Mackintosh while enjoying the beauty of nature. Kayaks, gloves and trash bags provided. New and experienced kayakers are welcome! Please wear clothing you don’t mind getting dirty and bring a reusable water bottle and sunscreen. Transportation to the event will be from the Elon Express stop outside of the library.
Monday, April 20
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | CAREER CLOSET | UPSTAIRS LAKESIDE
Join us for the Career Closet “grand opening” for a special one-day pop-up shopping event!
The Career Closet empowers Elon students by increasing access to professional and formal attire while fostering leadership, service, and community impact. In partnership with the Student Professional Development Center, the Center for Leadership, the Office of Sustainability and Student Involvement, this on-campus resource encourages students to think ahead, support one another and give back to the Elon community.
This event is open to all members of the Elon community.
Have extra professional or formal wear? Donate gently used items from April 7th–April 17th in the Center for Leadership to give back, support fellow students and promote sustainability on campus.
Stop by, shop sustainably and find the perfect look for your next interview, internship, or formal event!
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. | ORGANIC MOCKTAILS | CLOHAN DINING HALL
Come try a delicious mocktail featuring Certified Organic Tractor Beverage and learn about organic produce with Elon Dining’s Sustainability Manager Leslie Bosse!
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | 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 p.m. | POP UP SWAP SHOP | DOWNSTAIRS MOSELEY
Looking to refresh your closet? Have any perfectly good clothing you no longer wear? Bring it to the Pop-Up Swap Shop to trade for new-to-you shirts, pants, dresses, and more! No clothing to swap? No problem! Commit to a sustainable habit OR donate any fabric scraps on hand to earn free clothing!
The Pop Up Swap Shop runs in downstairs Moseley every Monday (4 – 6 p.m.) and Friday (3:30-6 pm) during the Spring 2026 semester.
4:15 – 5:30 p.m. | 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 discussion about Hayhoe’s most recent book. Light snacks will be provided for those who register.
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. | HONORING INDIGENOUS VOICES | CREDE
Join us for a conversation with Corey Roberts, assistant professor of Native American and Indigenous studies, exploring indigenous history, culture and perspectives connected to this region. This event aims to create space for learning, reflection and dialogue within the Elon community. Traditional food will be shared as part of the gathering.
Tuesday, April 21
9:40-10:20 a.m. | 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!
11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | COASTAL CRAFTS: SHELL JEWELRY DISHES | YOUNG COMMONS
Create or take home oyster and wampum shell jewelry dishes while learning about their ecological significance and Indigenous cultural importance in the Northeastern United States.
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. | GARDEN PARTY | MCEWEN DINING HALL
McEwen Dining Hall will feature garden party themed foods, including small plates and plant-forward options. Come join us for this super fun and sustainable lunch!
4 – 5 p.m. | 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
11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. | PICKLE POP UP | LAKESIDE DINING HALL
Join Elon Dining to taste how delicious and sustainable pickling can be!
12 – 2 p.m. | TOTE-ALLY SUSTAINABLE | MEDALLION PLAZA
Join us to paint your own reusable tote bag while learning about how to reduce waste!
5 – 6:30 p.m. | 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 p.m. | EARTH WEEK KEYNOTE: KATHARINE HAYHOE, “SOLVING CLIMATE CHANGE STARTS WITH US (BUT NOT THE WAY YOU THINK!)” | MCKINNON HALL, MOSELEY CENTER
“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, Katherine 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 p.m. | 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 a.m. | 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 Gender and LGBTQIA Center at Elon University where her work focuses on gender equity, LGBTQ+ inclusion, survivor support and violence prevention. For the last 15 years, Becca’s life and work has been dedicated to facilitating healing, justice, sustainability, and connection within communities in professional and personal roles. Becca has served on leadership and organizing teams across Alamance County, currently leading initiatives within the Alamance Racial Equity Alliance and Transcend Alamance. Bischipric Patterson lives in Elon with her spouse, toddlers, and (many) pets, and loves spending time with friends envisioning a world where all life can thrive.
5 – 7 p.m. 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.
5 – 7:30 PM | EARTH FEST | LAKE MARY NELL
Try over a dozen dishes featuring local foods and meet the local partners themselves at Elon Dining’s Earth Fest! You’ll even get to meet our most famous local partner, Pearl the dairy cow, from Ran-Lew Dairy.
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 p.m. – Catholic Mass
12:45 – 1:15 p.m. – Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Maor
1:15 – 1:30 p.m. – Jumuah Prayer
3:30-6 p.m. | POP UP SWAP SHOP | DOWNSTAIRS MOSELEY
Looking to refresh your closet? Have any perfectly good clothing you no longer wear? Bring it to the Pop-Up Swap Shop to trade for new-to-you shirts, pants, dresses, and more! No clothing to swap? No problem! Commit to a sustainable habit OR donate any fabric scraps on hand 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.
8:00-9:00 p.m. | SUSTAINABLE FASHION SHOW | GREAT HALL, SATO COMMONS
Join us for a student-led sustainable fashion show celebrating the creativity and potential of upcycled fashion! Featuring three main themes of comfy, casual, and classy, student designers and models are showcasing the endless possibilities of sustainable styles! Come early to enjoy sustainable sweets and a scrap fruit mocktail prior to the show!
Sunday, April 26
1 – 3 p.m. | ZERO WASTE BASEBALL GAME | LATHAM PARK
Join us at Latham Park for a Zero Waste Baseball Game—where cheering for Elon also means cheering for the planet! Enjoy the game while helping us reduce landfill waste through composting and recycling. Come learn how small actions can make a big difference and help us show that game day can be both fun and sustainable.