Earth Day

Earth Month Events

Earth Day is Saturday, April 22, 2023, but Ohio University will continue its tradition of celebrating "Earth Day Every Day" throughout the month of April. OHIO has partnered with campus and community organizations to develop a county-wide list of Earth Month activities! Learn more about OHIO events below, and visit the community Earth Day page to join the wider celebration.

April 27 12-4:00pm OHIO Earth Day Celebrations Schedule:

12:00   Welcome

12:15    Earth Day Proclamation: Mayor of Athens Steve Patterson

1:00     Keynote Address: Aimee Delach, Chair, City of Athens Environment & Sustainability Commission

1:30     Sustainability Awards

2:00    Electric Vehicle Showcase in the Peden Stadium Parking Lot

2:00    OHIO Athletics Players for the Planet Recognition

2:00    Earth Day Poetry

2:30    Sustainability Hub Presentations

3:30    Local Band: HouseGuest

4:00    Closing Remarks

OHIO Earth Day Parade - April 22

The 2023 OHIO Earth Day parade will start on the South Green in front of Pickering Hall at noon on April 22nd and end at Baker Center at approximately 12:45.  Join us to see the Passion Works Honey for the Heart costumes, hear the noise makers, and walk with Rufus, The Bag Monster, and Pawpaw as paraders march through campus and Athens to show our excitement for Earth Day!   Re-live the 2019 OHIO Earth Day Parade below through a video made by graduate student Vicky Kent. 

Repurpose & Repair Fair and Arbor Day Celebration

The OHIO Earth Day Celebrations on April 27th will include the Repurpose & Repair Fair, Arbor Day Recognition, and campus and local community sustainability activities and information. Attendees can learn do-it-yourself reuse and repair projects, find out about current sustainability initiatives and opportunities to get involved, hear live music and poetry, and much more!  Join us to celebrate Arbor Day and to learn about trees on campus and Ohio University's recognition as a Tree Campus Higher Education (formerly Tree Campus USA) and a Bee Campus USA.

Electric Vehicle Showcase

On April 27th from 2-4:00 join Transportation & Parking Services, the Office of Sustainability and Drive Electric Southeast Ohio in the Peden Stadium parking lot to learn about electric vehicle technologies, including electric automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles and skateboards, and checkout our local EV Cruisers Club.  

ReBike Program

Unfortunately the ReBike Program sale of salvaged, affordable used bicycles will not return to the festivities in 2023.  We hope the salvaged bicycles will be available in 2024.

Pollinator Programs

Follow our social media (@OHIOsustainable, #OHIOearthday) for special announcements about pollinator commitments both on campus and in the community!

Award Categories

Faculty Sustainability Award

This recognition is awarded to a faculty member who has made exemplary contributions to his or her field through sustainability-related teaching, research, scholarship or service.  Sustainability Hub Coordinators are ineligible for this award.

Student Sustainability Leader(s) Award

This award recognizes one student (or student group) who has excelled in sustainable actions and leadership at Ohio University during their time as a student. This can include class projects, club events, personal behaviors/actions, volunteerism and the like.-- This award is open to both undergraduate students and graduate students.

Staff Sustainability Advocate Award

This award is given to a staff member who has served as an advocate for advancing sustainability initiatives at Ohio University or served in a support role to assist student, faculty, staff or community led initiatives. Office of Sustainability staff members are ineligible for this award.

Exemplary Sustainable Department Award

This award is given to an office or department at Ohio University that has shown great leadership in a variety of sustainable behaviors including, but not limited to, advancing the Sustainability and Climate Action Plans, encouraging health and wellness among its employees, investing in local goods and services, reducing its landfilled waste generation, participating in energy reduction efforts, and engaging in shared office resources. Any Department which completes the Sustainable Tracking and Evaluation Program (STEP) will be automatically nominated in this award category if a certification application was submitted within the past academic year.

Community Sustainability Recognition

 Any community member (or group) is invited to be nominated for recognition of their participation in programs that help support community-wide sustainability efforts.

Rules

• All nominees must be current Ohio University faculty, staff or students (exception: Community Sustainability Recognition).

• You may nominate yourself or someone else.

• You may nominate more than one person for the same award (please fill out a separate form for each nomination).

• You may nominate the same person for multiple awards, as long as they are eligible. Office of Sustainability staff and Sustainability Hub Coordinators are not eligible.

• While you will be asked to provide your name and email when you nominate someone, you may choose to keep your nomination anonymous if you wish.

• Nominations are due at midnight on April 7.

Nominations Process

Only online submissions will be accepted. Nominations are due at midnight on April 7. The nomination will require the following:

1. Name and email of person (or group/department) being nominated
2. Name and email of the person nominating (optional)
3. Award Name
4. Essay: In 500 words or less, explain why you believe this individual should be recognized for their sustainability efforts. Please address how their actions have advanced the triple bottom line of sustainability at Ohio University.

Selection Process

• An ad hoc committee composed of previous winners and sustainably-minded faculty, staff, students and community members will review the nominations for the awards.

• Nominees will be evaluated on their contributions to implementing goals in the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan as well as their leadership role and impact with respect to the triple bottom line of sustainability (simultaneous benefits to people, planet and profitability).

• Those who are nominated for an award will be ineligible to evaluate their own award category

• Evaluations will be compiled and the nominee with the highest score will win.

Past Sustainability Award Winners

Faculty Sustainability Research & Advocacy Award: Natalie Kruse Daniels, Environmental Studies (2022); Amy Lynch, Geography (2021); Guy Riefler, Civil Engineering & John Sabraw, School of Art (2020); Theresa Moran, Food Studies (2019); Gilbert Michaud, Voinovich School of Leadership & Public Affairs (2018); Colin Gabler, College of Business (2017); Fran McFadden, College of Health Sciences and Professions (2016); Molly Schoenhoff (2015); Ben Stuart, Russ College of Engineering (2014)

Student Sustainability Leader Award: Katelyn Rousch, HTC Environmental Studies, Economics and Physics undergraduate student (2022); Abbey Rodjom, Voinovich School of Leadership & Public Service & Allison Shryock, Environmental Studies/Geography Honors Tutorial College (2021); Winter Wilson, Environmental Studies/Journalism Honors Tutorial College (2020); Vicky Kent, Sport and Recreation Pedagogy graduate student (2019); Kaitlin Kulich, Journalism undergraduate student (2018); Zero Waste Initiative Student Leaders (2017); Leigh Wagner, undergraduate student & Annalisa Weber, graduate student (2016); Alex Slaymaker, Environmental Planning and Policy undergraduate student (2015)

Staff Sustainability Advocate Award: Joanna Sokol, Campus Recycling & Zero Waste (2022); Elissa Welch, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service (2021); Karsen Bailey, Information Technology (2020); Jennifer Bowman, Voinovich School (2019); Annie Laurie Cadmus, Wellworks (2018); Susan Calhoun, Grounds (2017); Kristen Herbst, Health Sciences and Professions (2016); Andrew Ladd, Campus Recycling & Zero Waste (2015); Loraine McCosker, Voinovich School of Leadership & Public Affairs (2014)

Exemplary Sustainable Department Award: Department of Geography (2022); Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service (2021); Information Technology Acquisitions (2020); Office of Information Technology (2019); Architecture, Design & Construction (2018); Moving & Surplus (2017); Office of Global Opportunities (2016); Campus Recycling & Zero Waste (2015); Culinary Services (2014)

Community Sustainability Recognition: Carol Kuhre (2022); Passion Works (2021); Mary Anne & Don Flournoy and Habitat for Humanity of Southeast Ohio (2020 joint award); The Village Bakery & Cafe (2019); City of Athens Environment and Sustainability Commission (2018); Athens City-County Health Dept (2017); Bruce Underwood (2016); Upgrade Athens (2015)