The Association of Students of the University of Nebraska has kicked off Earthstock, a month-long sustainability event. The event is designed to engage UNL students, faculty and staff in learning about sustainability.
Earthstock grew from 2013’s Focus Week, which also focused on environmental sustainability. The event has been rebranded and shaped after Woodstock, the three-day music festival held in 1969. Earthstock will feature a variety of small events and one main event in the greenspace north of the Nebraska Union.
The opening event will span two days, running 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 2 and 3, and include a carbon footprint interactive display organized by Sustain UNL. The display will allow individuals to take a carbon footprint test with a large, collective graph showcasing the results. Six booths will provide related information, with games and chances to win prizes.
Also opening April 2 is UNL Unplugged, a three-week event that encourages energy conservation via competition between UNL’s residence halls and Big Ten schools. The contest will provide daily updates on per-capita energy usage and award prizes. Read more about UNL Unplugged here.
Other Earthstock events include:
Up-Cycle “Pinterest Party, April 7-11, Rotunda Gallery, Nebraska Union — The gallery will be open for individuals to create art out of diverted waste materials. The project is designed to educate participants about waste created and encourage them to think about waste by-products as resources.
New Growth Green Business Expo, 3 to 5 p.m., April 9, Nebraska Union greenspace — Showcase of area businesses that embrace sustainability and use alternative practices when dealing with waste.
Bikefest, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 16, Nebraska Union Plaza — Event promoting biking as a safe, practice and economical form of transportation. Will include a bike repair station, educational materials and a bike-powered smoothie machine.
Screening of “Dirt! The Movie,” 7 p.m., April 11, Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center
UNL Unplugged Scavenger Hunt, 9 p.m., April 17
Reading by Julene Bair, 7 to 9 p.m., April 21, Gaughan Multicultural Center, Unity Room — Featuring Bair’s “Ogallala Road,” a book detailing her family’s plight to keep and care for land in Kansas. As farmers pump water from the Ogallala Aquifer, Bair’s family must reconcile traditional ways with industrial realities
Policy for the Plains Political Forum, 6:30 to 8 p.m., April 22, Nebraska Union Auditorium — A discussion featuring Nebraska state senators and policymakers talking about the practices and policies that affect the Earth.
Earthstock Block Party, April 22, Nebraska Union greenspace — Culmination of Earthstock and hosted by Earth Day, this event will include booths and games designed to bring the campus together to learn that we are responsible for sustainability and the future.
For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/GreenUNL and https://twitter.com/GreenUNL.
