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 [email protected]!

• 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 Resilience QEP.

• Friday, April 26

  Arbor Day Tree-Planting and Education Event
  9 - 11 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.
  Meet at B.B. Dougherty Administration Building

  Event Link →

  Celebrate Arbor Day by planting a tree and learning about native trees as you do. Please email [email protected] to sign up for tree planting.

• 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.

• Tuesday, April 30

  Campus Foraging Walk
  2 - 3:30 p.m.
  Meet on Sanford Mall at the L.S. Dougherty statue

  Event Link →

  Join Alan Muskat of No Taste Like Home, an Asheville-based foraging tour company operating since 1995. Alan will lead a campus walk and educational session to help attendees identify common edibles. Wear comfortable shoes and bring your tastebuds! RSVP on the Engage page.

• Tuesday, April 30

  How Foraging Can Save the World
  Lecture by Alan Muskat
  7 - 8 p.m.
  PSU 169 Three Top Mountain

  Event Link →

  Join Alan Muskat of No Taste Like Home, an Asheville-based foraging tour company operating since 1995. Alan will share his experiences as an expert forager who lives off of wild food and answer commonly asked questions such as:
  -What about dog pee?
  -Will I die?
  -What was Gordon Ramsey really like?
  Alan will also explore the role of foraging in sustainability, nutrition, well-being, and saving the world.