University Sustainability

Defining Sustainability since 1899
Earth Month Events at Appalachian State

Earth Month Events 2024

Earth Month is a time for everyone to come together for a common cause — a sustainable planet.

April 22 marks the 54th anniversary of Earth Day. At App State, Mountaineers celebrate Earth Day every day through the university’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. The Office of Sustainability team, along with many other campus community members, has planned several events throughout the month of April for Mountaineers to get involved in campus and community sustainability efforts. Mark your calendar, bring a friend and help make our world a greener, cleaner place for all.

2024 Events

  • Tuesday, April 2

    Free Store Road Show
    11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
    Sanford Mall, Boone Campus

    Event Link →

    The Office of Sustainability’s Free Store hits the road! Come learn about the Office of Sustainability’s Food Pantry and Free Store. Help divert landfill waste by getting free clothes and learn about how you can donate your old clothes to help the environment and your community. If there is rainy weather, we will move inside the Plemmons Student Unions in the International Hallway!

  • Wednesday, April 3

    Sustain Yosef Trivia
    6 p.m.- 8 p.m.
    169 Three Top Mountain PSU

    Event Link →

    Test your knowledge on an array of sustainability based topics including science fun facts local to the high country, campus sustainability, and more!

  • Wednesday, April 10

    Mess on the Mall
    11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
    Sanford Mall

    Event Link →

    Join the Office of Sustainability in hands-on zero waste education. Suit up and take a deeper look at trash, recycling, and composting on campus.

  • Saturday, April 13

    Zero Waste Baseball Game
    1 p.m. - 7 p.m.
    Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium

    Event Link →

    The Office of Sustainability takes on zero waste baseball. Similar to our zero waste basketball and football efforts, we will be hand sorting waste into recycling and compost at the game. If you are able to go to the game, you will be able to stop by our table for zero waste games and swag. You can also see our zero waste stations with compost options.

  • Sunday, April 14

    National Gardening Day
    1 p.m.
    App State Farm

    In honor of National Gardening Day, the Office of Sustainability will be hosting a day of service at the App State farm. Join our Garden Ambassadors in a day of weeding, planting, and caring for the different plants the App State Farm has to offer. Transportation from the Office of Sustainability will be provided. Please reach out to Lanie Karstrom, the Sustainability Outreach Director, to secure a seat at karstromlr@appstate.edu!

  • Tuesday, April 16

    Free Store Road Show
    11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
    Sanford Mall

    Event Link →

    The Office of Sustainability’s Free Store hits the road! Come learn about the Office of Sustainability’s Food Pantry and Free Store. Help divert landfill waste by getting free clothes and learn about how you can donate your old clothes to help the environment and your community. If there is rainy weather, we will move inside the Plemmons Student Unions in the International Hallway!

  • Tuesday, April 16

    Spring Sustainability Film Series - Earth Month Audio Under the Stars
    7 p.m.
    Sanford Mall

    Event Link →

    Come join the Office of Sustainability and App Docs- Documentary Film Services for a night under the stars by the firepit. Connect with your fellow Mountaineers and celebrate Earth Month while we stream environmentally themed audio docs.

  • Friday, April 19

    Earth Day Expo
    1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
    Sanford Mall

    Event Link →

    Celebrate Earth Day with the Office of Sustainability. Come learn more about sustainable organizations both on and off campus by engaging with groups that represent each of the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals. Students can opt in to a challenge from the Office of Sustainability to learn about at least 10 of the 17 goals in order to receive a free limited-edition Earth Day t-shirt.

  • Wednesday, April 24

    Waste Wise Wednesday
    11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
    Central Dining Hall

    Event Link →

    The Office of Sustainability invites you to play our waste sorting game in Central Dining Hall. As you play, you'll learn which items can be recycled, added to the compost bin, or simply put in the trash. Winners of the game will receive a raffle ticket which will put you in the running for a swag bag with Office of Sustainability merchandise. We will also have free stickers, buttons and reusable items. Come learn how to sort your waste.

  • Wednesday, April 24

    Spring Sustainability Film Series - Earth Month Film Fest, Two Feature Films and Discussion with Guest Filmmaker Garrett Martin
    5 p.m.
    IG Greer Theater

    Event Link →

    This event is co-hosted by the Office of Sustainability, AppDocs and University Forum

    The Office of Sustainability, along with AppDocs and University Forum, invites you to join us for two feature films followed by discussion with our guest filmmaker, Garrett Martin.

    The River Runs On (Trailer)
    This film follows conservationists throughout southern Appalachia as they struggle to manage two of the most important national forests in America - the Pisgah and the Nantahala. The film revolves around the Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Plan, a plan the U.S. Forest Service is finalizing that will dictate how these two national forests are managed for the next twenty years. The result is a meditation on our relationship to nature, our role in managing lands and what it may mean for the future.

    Unbounded (Trailer)
    For four months, a team of travelers in their early twenties set out to hike along the unrelenting Greater Patagonian Trail. Engaging with locals along the way, the volunteers are reminded of the stark discrepancy between their ways of life, and are made aware of the looming developmental projects that threaten the previously untouched and untainted areas across Patagonia. In a moving display of companionship, Unbounded illustrates that the future of the country rests on the preservation and protection of its breath-taking natural spaces.

  • Thursday, April 25

    Grad Expo
    9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
    Grandfather Mountain Ballroom - Plemmons Student Union

    Event Link →

    Join the Office of Sustainability to learn more about all things sustainable, including info on our Regalia Reuse program and to take the Sustainability Graduation Pledge.

  • Thursday, April 25

    Generation Dread
    6 p.m.
    Blue Ridge Ballroom (201 AB) - Plemmons Student Union

    Event Link →

    Britt Wray’s research on the psychological toll of climate change, outlined in her brilliant book Generation Dread, reveals a surprising truth: that acknowledging and dealing with climate anxiety helps us find purpose, avoid burnout, and solve both mental health and ecological problems.Dr. Wray’s inspiring and timely work helps us think about how we can implement community-minded, socio-emotional support programs for climate resilience on our campus. Hosted by the Pathways to Resistance QEP.

  • Friday, April 26

    Rock n’ Roots
    4 - 6:30 p.m.
    The Roots Garden, Howard Street

    Event Link →

    Join the Office of Sustainability for an afternoon of live music and appreciation for our campus gardens. This free concert event will include tabling and interactive activities facilitated by environmental groups on campus. Grab a blanket, bring your friend and jam out on the Roots Garden lawn as we celebrate Earth Month.

  • Saturday, April 27

    Repair Hub
    11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
    Grandfather Ballroom - Plemmons Student Union

    Event Link →

    The Office of Sustainability is sponsoring Repair Hub for an Earth Month event and inviting some campus friends to join us as well. Do you have broken or torn items around your house? Bring them to the Repair Hub pop up. Repair Hub is a nonprofit whose goal is to keep things out of the waste stream, show you how to fix items and build community through repair.