Celebrating the importance sustainability and environmental awareness, Castleton will host a weeks worth of eco-friendly activities beginning Friday, April 17 through Sunday, April 28, known Earth Week.
In recent year’s Castleton has launched and grown the Green Campus Initiative to reduce the university’s carbon footprint and work toward a sustainable future. With sustainability as a major goal for the university, the environmentally friendly theme is exhibited throughout campus with various sustainability facilities, solar panels, micro-wind turbines, electric car charging station and refillable water fountain stations, which have saved over 260,000 water bottles from the landfill since their installation.
Kicking off the celebrations will be two days of live band concerts on Friday and Saturday, performing on a Solar Bus powered stage.
From April 18 to 26, Residence Halls will partake in friendly competitions sponsored by the EcoReps. Events include recycling contests, trivia and an energy conservation challenge, with the winning hall receiving an ice cream social during the week of finals.
The celebrations are highlighted by Earth Day on Wednesday, April 15.
"In the past we've done more of a booth style thing, set up in the Campus Center, where we have all these different people from across Vermont come and talk about the different things they do for sustainability," said Natural Sciences Professor Andrew Vermilyea of the Castleton Green Campus Group, adding that this year’s activities are more hands-on. "This year we went more active."
Festivities for the day include taking part in the campus-wide “I Commit” campaign in Huden Dining Hall, where participants can pledge to make sustainable commitments for the year, such as shutting off the lights and working to reducing their personal carbon footprint. Castleton community members can also participate in an Earth Day 5k beginning at 5 p.m. to the benefit Pure Water for the Earth organization.
In addition to the Earth Day activities, the university will host a “Lights Out Wednesday,” to reduce energy usage, promote sustainable selfies, and organize a community clean up collecting garbage and other debris around the Castleton area.
For more information on Castleton Earth Week activities, contact Andrew Vermilyea at Andrew.vermilyea@castleton.edu.