This year's Earth Day theme is "Planet vs. Plastic!" There are loads of ways to get involved in and around campus this April.
Check out the schedule below! It will be updated as the month progresses.
Multi-Week Events
Jan 16th - Apr 19th: The Goldstein Museum of Design’s latest exhibition, The Soil and The Story, celebrates Black Soilship in the Black Belt by highlighting 12 farms researched in the last three years across Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.
Tuesday, April 2nd
7-8pm: Climate Lit for Educators Workshop, hosted by the Center for Climate Literacy
Thursday, April 4th
9:30-10:30am: Climate Resilience & Infrastructure Coffee Chat
10am-2pm: UMN Environmental Justice Summit
12-1pm: Nutritious U Free Meals at Commonwealth Terrace Cooperative
3-4pm: Nutritious U Free Meals at Coffman Memorial Union Room 103A
Monday, April 8th
10am-4pm: Bell Museum Solar Eclipse Celebration
12-1pm: Sigurd Olson Lecture Series: Wild California & the Antiquities Act. In-person
Tuesday, April 9th
12-5pm: Nutritious U Pantry is open!
3-4pm: Online Webinar – What Would a Bioethics for Agriculture and Food Applications of Cryopreservation Look Like? with Paul Thompson, PhD.
Wednesday, April 10th
12-5pm: Nutritious U Pantry is open!
Thursday, April 11th
8:30am-12:30pm: The Rights of Nature vs. Human Rights? Struggles for environmental, racial, and gender justice in Colombia, Ecuador, and the U.S. Hosted by the Humphrey School. In-Person or livestream available.
12-1pm: Nutritious U Free Meals at Commonwealth Terrace Cooperative
3-4pm: Nutritious U Free Meals at Coffman Memorial Union Room 103A
Friday, April 12th
8:30-11:15am: Speaking Science
11:30am-5pm: Institute on the Environment's Sustainability Symposium
Sunday, April 14th
12:00pm: Trash Pickup with SESB Sustainability student group - meet outside McDonald's in Identity Dinkytown
Wednesday, April 17th
9-10am: Climate Resilience & the Environment Coffee Chat
5:30-6:30pm: Humphrey School of Public Affairs – Advancing Climate Solutions. Now. with Sanda Ojiambo. In-person or virtual.
Thursday, April 18th
5-7pm: Global Health Day hosted by the Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility
12-1pm: Nutritious U Free Meals at Commonwealth Terrace Cooperative
3-4pm: Nutritious U Free Meals at Coffman Memorial Union Room 103A
Friday, April 19th
3-4pm: Third Annual Earth Day Fest, hosted by the Center for Climate Literacy (virtual)
Saturday, April 20th
9am-12pm: Bee Run Walk Cleanup at Boom Island Park
9:30am-12pm: City of Minneapolis' Earth Day Clean Up. (Multiple sites).
10am-2pm: Bell Museum Spotlight Science: Art + Ecology
10am-3pm: The Great Minnsect Show: Minnesota Insect Show. North Star Ballroom, St. Paul Student Center.
Sunday, April 21st
12:00pm: Office of Sustainability Stormwater Clean Up Event with Campus Cleanup Crew - stay tuned for location details!
Monday, April 22nd: Earth Day! 🌎
9:30-10:30am: Climate Resilience & the Campus Community Coffee Chat
12-1pm: April Science Seminar at Institute on the Environment & the Midwest Climate Adaptation Center.
Tuesday, April 23rd
12-5pm: Nutritious U Food Pantry is open!
Wednesday, April 24th
12-1pm: People & Planet: Takeaways from the Fifth National Climate Assessment. Virtual event.
12-1pm: What's Good for You is Good for the Planet: Webinar on climate & health
12-5pm: Nutritious U Food Pantry is open!
Thursday, April 25th
12-2pm: Keystone Foodmobile: Mobile Food Shelf at CTC
12-1pm: Nutritious U Free Meals at Commonwealth Terrace Cooperative
1-3pm: Arbor Day Tree Planting with the UMN Dept of Forest Resources
3-4pm: Nutritious U Free Meals at Coffman Memorial Union Room 103A
4pm: College of Science & Engineering A.O.C. Nier Lecture
Friday, April 26th: Arbor Day! 🌳
9am-6pm: Arbor Day at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
2pm: 2024 Larson Allmaras Lecture featuring Sylvie Brouder, PhD. 335 Borlaug Hall
If you're hosting an Earth Month event that you'd like listed here, contact us.
April is Earth Month! Check out our frequently updated list of events to get involved. Check it out.
In 2024, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities achieved 9,864,660 kilowatt hours in electricity savings, surpassing the highest level of conservation goal set by Xcel Energy. That’s enough electricity to power 1,100 average Minnesota homes for a year and avoid 7.6 million pounds of CO2 emissions. As a result of our efforts through energy projects on campus, the University received $724,815 in rebates, plus an additional $147,246 for reaching our goal. The rebate ultimately goes back into a cycle within the University, allowing us to continue investing in energy reduction and working to reduce our energy use. The pie chart below highlights where these savings came from, with Lighting (35%) and HVAC (24%) contributing the most. Thanks to Energy Management and all who support these efforts!
Do you have input regarding the University of Minnesota Twin Cities' Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program?
"Illicit discharges are considered 'illicit' because MS4s are not designed to accept, process, or discharge such non-stormwater wastes." (EPA) As water runs down the street into storm drains, contaminated with illicit discharge (such as cigarette butts, trash, salt, vehicle fluids, or yard waste) from the street, it flows back down through the stormwater system and back into the river. Learn how you can help or report illicit discharge on campus.
Facilities Management’s Landcare team is the primary snow removal service provider for the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus, responsible for clearing nearly 100 miles of streets and walkways, and over 100 acres of parking surfaces. Learn more:
Thursday, 11/14 from 11am-2pm: The Climate Literacy 101 interactive workshop is designed to interpret the science and impacts of climate change for broad action, on campus and beyond.
We will be joined by special guests Melvin Carter, Mayor of St. Paul, and Dr. Heidi Roop, Assistant Director for Climate Services, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and UMN Climate Adaptation Partnership.
Thursday, November 14th, 11am-2pm. Coffman Union, Mississippi Room (3rd floor). M Food Co is providing a "Climate Cool" lunch.
Register
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities continues to show its leadership in sustainability, earning recognition in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges: 2025 Edition. UMN Twin Cities received a perfect Green Rating score of 99, making it one of the top eco-friendly institutions. This rating evaluates universities based on campus sustainability, student life, and how well schools prepare students for careers in the clean-energy economy. This achievement emphasizes UMN's dedication to creating an environmentally conscious campus and providing students with a sustainable future. Discover how UMN Twin Cities is making a positive impact on campus and our planet!
The University of Minnesota's upcoming Climate Literacy Teach-In event is on November 14th from 11am-2pm. This events aims to engage students and faculty in meaningful discussions about climate change. With interactive activities, expert-led discussions, and a kickoff breakfast hosted by the Learning Abroad Center, participants will have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of climate issues and learn practical actions they can take. Additionally, a self-guided climate conversation activity allows individuals to facilitate discussions anywhere and anytime, emphasizing the importance of personal climate stories to drive climate awareness and change.
Are you interested in learning more about lab sustainability efforts on campus and the new UMN Green Labs Certification Program and how to green your lab? Have you wondered how you could save energy in your lab and lower costs? Join one of two upcoming Green Labs Open House events co-hosted by the Office of Sustainability and the College of Biological Sciences. Learn more
Register
This fall, the University of Minnesota’s FM Landcare team is planting 105 climate-adaptable trees across campus to diversify the landscape and increase resilience against pests. The trees being planted include a mix of borderline hardy species, new varieties for the campus, and reliable or native trees. Sourced from the campus gravel bed nursery, these trees are easy to plant and acclimate quickly to their environment. Learn more about the tree varieties and discover climate-resilient options for your own yard in this story map publication from the UMN Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.