Earth Week event highlights!

May 16, 2022

Earth Week was full of great events! Enjoy this small sampling of what happened on campus:

Earth Week Fair

In pursuit of a sustainable future, the Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives hosted an Earth Week Fair! The goal was to make the College feel more welcoming and accessible to the broader Williamstown community and forge connections between on- and off-campus groups. In order to achieve this goal, we invited several community partners to join us on Paresky Lawn to talk about sustainability while providing a space to build community with students and foster genuine connections.

We had the pleasure of collaborating with several community members to make this event happen. We were joined by Tom and Melissa Cragg from BagShare who helped attendees make reusable bags out of used irrigation piping and grain bags. We were also joined by a representative from the Williams Gardening Club who gave attendees starts of various, low-maintenance flowers and herbs. Katherine Myers of the ABC Clothing Store also tabled to talk to attendees about how sustainability is present in her work. Even our own Christine Seibert had a table where she quizzed fair-goers on sustainability trivia and proper waste disposal.

  • Student writes on sign that says "Happy Earth Day"
  • Woman uses tool to make reusable bag while instructor looks on
  • Couple with dog stands in front of an outdoor table with a sign that says Zilkha Center

In addition to the tables with community partners, there were also tables filled with bubbles, play dough and suncatchers for people to enjoy and take with them. Attendees of all ages also enjoyed the free Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream before signing a poster pledging to live sustainably. Special thanks to Facilities, the Office of Student Life, All Campus Entertainment (ACE), Ben and Jerry’s, and all who were able to come out on Saturday*!

-Micaela Foreman (’23), Zilkha Center Community Engagement Intern

*editors note: AND a huge shoutout to Micaela, who coordinated this awesome event!

 

Williams After Dark: Earth Day Edition!

On Earth Day (April 22nd), the Dodd Neighborhood

Five students hold small planters and smile

Residential Life Team and the Sustainable Living Lab in Hubbell House hosted a Williams After Dark event together. Our aim was to encourage students to think about ways that they can care for the environment and implement sustainable practices in their lives. Toward that end, during the event we watched an environmental science documentary on Kanopy and gave out a number of plant growing kits to students to inspire them to care for and improve the environment around them. During the event and after, we enjoyed hearing from students about how much they appreciated the kits! During the event, we also provided local snacks from Wild Oats, a nearby co-op grocery store with a commitment to sustainability. We would like to express our warmest gratitude to the Zilkha Center for their generous support for this event! We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to build community around learning about and appreciating the environment around us on Earth Day.

-Chelsea Zhang (’24)