Earth Week 2024 kicks off at Penn with more than 30 events on campus

The university’s annual Earth Week kicked off on campus, with more than 30 events taking place from April 20 to 26.

Penn Sustainability hosts Earth Week to help students, faculty and staff understand climate, nature and environmental justice. More than 30 events will be offered on campus and virtually throughout the week, ranging from panel discussions with climate scientists to tours of the Morris Arboretum.

This year’s theme is “Restore and Regenerate” to encourage community building among students as they learn about what revitalizes the planet’s natural systems.

Penn Sustainability Manager Noah Swistak said Earth Week will offer students the opportunity to engage in a variety of topics that can help them learn more about the different facets of environmentalism. He said he was particularly excited about GreenFest, a tableing festival on College Green that will act as a symbolic marker of the conclusion of Earth Week.

“Greenfest is home to a collection of student groups, nonprofits and academic offices that offer information and activities such as trash can painting,” Swistak said. “These different events brought together organizations that would not normally work together, but collaborated with each other to create these climate education events.”

Another activity planned this year is a tree planting event on April 26, organized by Penn’s newly formed Maqoor Environmental Club.

“Students can come together in a community aspect and have a direct impact, even if it is a small community in a small area,” said Niel Pereria, a freshman and board member of the Maqoor Environmental Club. “I think there are pressing issues facing our generation and it’s great to see organizations and clubs on campus taking important steps to create change.”

Gevorg Ghazaryan, a freshman and board member of the Maqoor Environmental Club, said he hopes the event will spark greater student involvement in local climate initiatives that operate year-round.

“The nice thing about environmental organizations is that it is not something to worry about, because there is a place for everyone,” says Ghazaryan. “It is important to participate in the events offered for sustainability, even if it is only once a month.”

Other events this week include volunteering at Penn Farm, a discussion on Penn’s transition to electric vehicles and a tour of green infrastructure facilities on campus.

Earth Week builds on the sustainability-focused ideas discussed earlier this year during Penn’s annual Climate Week and Energy Week. Swistak suggested students focus on energy conservation, sustainable transportation use and plant-forward dining as easy ways to reduce their carbon footprint on a daily basis.

Earth Day has been a tradition at Penn for 54 years. Working with climate activists and city leaders, Penn students and faculty organized the university’s first official Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Since then, the celebration has grown into a weeklong event aimed at raising awareness about environmental justice and climate change.

Students can view the full schedule of event offerings throughout the week on the Penn Sustainability website.