BU Sustainability is holding a series of climate events from now until April 25 to promote the celebration of Earth Day every day. Photo via NASA/Reto Stockli

Things-to-do

BU’s Earth Day Celebrations

了解如何更好地保护我们的地球每一天与一系列活动由波士顿大学可持续发展主办

Written in bold on the official Earth Day website is a call to arms: “It’s not a day, it’s a movement.”

April 22 is the formal celebration date marking Earth Day—but combating climate change calls for more than just one day of emphasis and priority. For this reason, BU Sustainability has launched Earth Day 365, an event series that began March 25 and runs through April 25 to highlight the importance of protecting our planet. 

“We want our community to be engaged with sustainability every single day,” says Sam Moller, BU Sustainability communications director. “And it’s not just something that we’re doing on Earth Days—we’re not just planting a tree on Earth Day…we’re calling it a year.” 

The celebration includes more than 27 cross-campus events on the Charles River and Medical Campuses, hosted by the College of Communication, Marsh Chapel, the Boston University School of Law, the Center for Computing & Data Sciences, and the Professional Clothing Closet, to name a few. Events include a film screening, a plant-care workshop, plant-based community dinners, clothing swaps, and a Charles River cleanup. 

BU’s Climate Action Plan proposes that issues surrounding climate change and sustainability be incorporated into every student’s campus experience, and that starts with the day-to-day decisions we make. Moller recommends starting small by replacing wasteful items with their reusable counterparts and conscientious waste sorting and recycling.

“If you start with one thing, and you feel competent in that behavior change, then add another one, and add another one, and then add another one,” Moller says. “There’s no time to lose.” 

Below is a sample of Earth Day 365 events; find the full list here.

Dining Services Earth Day Scavenger Hunt

Through April 11

This scavenger hunt uses the free Scavify app to send students on a journey across campus. Along the way, they’ll learn about sustainable practices and have the opportunity to win prizes, including a pair of tickets to the upcoming Dining Services restaurant night, a drawing for convenience points, and a free bike.

Happy Terrier Walk on the Esplanade

Fridays, April 12 to 26, 1 to 2 pm 

Meet on Marsh Plaza and enjoy a leisurely guide-led walk on the Esplanade every Friday through April 26. Mingle with students you’ve never met, appreciate Boston’s budding spring, and feel the stress-reducing effects of simply moving with a friend. Register here. 

College to Climate Symposium

April 13, 11 am to 4 pm, Center for Computing & Data Sciences

Kick-start your climate career at this day of workshopping, with high-profile local climate speakers and plenty of networking opportunities. Open to students of all majors in the Greater Boston area, this one-day symposium is a fantastic opportunity for those interested in summer internships, fall co-ops, and full-time positions. Register here. 

Inundation District Film Screening

April 17, 5:30 to 7:30 pm, Questrom School of Business, Room 105

Inundation District explores the implications of the city of Boston’s decision to ignore the innumerable threats posed by climate change and blindly spend billions of dollars building the Seaport waterfront district: on landfill, at sea level, and in the bullseye of rising seas. Join director and Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter David Abel, a College of Communication professor of the practice, journalism, at this free screening, with a Q&A to follow. Get your tickets here. 

Restaurant Night

April 18, 6 pm, West Campus Dining Hall

Did you know animal agriculture produces 65 percent of the world’s nitrous oxide emissions, with a global warming impact 296 times greater than carbon dioxide? Head to West Campus Dining Hall for a special plant-based chef-crafted menu for students on the dining plan. The registration link will be provided to students via email once signups open. Reservations required.

Professional Clothing Closet Spring Open House

April 19, 10 am to 3:30 pm, 100 Bay State Road, Room 103

Sick of wearing the same “work clothes” for every professional occasion? Refresh your summer job/internship wardrobe at the BU Professional Clothing Closet’s end-of-year Open House, where you can select up to four new or gently used professional clothing items. No appointment is required, and the items are free to keep. 

Plant Bar Workshop with Micro Plant Studios

April 21, 7:15 to 9 pm, BU Arts Initiative, George Sherman Union second floor 

Led by Julio César Román of Boston-based and Latinx-owned company Micro Plant Studios, learn how plant care can emulate self-care. Then take home an assortment of 2-inch-tall plants. Dinner will be provided.

Plankton Painting at Sargent College

April 22, all day, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences

Jess Holz, a research technician at the BU Neural Systems Laboratory, hopes to raise awareness of humans’ impact on microscopic pond life. She’ll help you take a peek at plankton swimming on a microscope slide. See pictures of cute critters at Brookline’s Halls Pond with chronophotography (time-lapse) on the big screen, too. Their “squiggles” and lines are trails and paths of Earth’s often-overlooked second most abundant life form.

Marsh Chapel’s Earth Day Community Dinner

April 22, from 5 to 6 pm, Marsh Chapel’s Marsh Room, lower level

Community dinners are a time for students to mingle with people from different majors and degree programs across BU’s diverse campus. No registration is necessary, so come hungry, bring friends, and bring your own take-out container in the interest of sustainability.