The University’s Office for Sustainability hosted its annual Earth Day Eco-Fair — an interactive fair featuring over 20 student organizations and community partners focused on creative sustainability efforts — April 22 at Peabody Lawn. Each table at the fair presented their own hands-on activity. From a solar-powered waffle-making station hosted by Cville Solar Project to a compost-sorting challenge with Black Bear Composting, featured organizations showcased a variety of ways in which students can involve themselves in sustainable practices and advocacy.
According to Lela Garner, Student Outreach & Engagement manager within the University’s Office for Sustainability, the Office has coordinated a version of this Earth Day celebration for over 10 years. The event spotlights community and student organizations that support the Office’s long-term goals. Some goals include aiming for the University to be carbon neutral by 2030 and fossil fuel-free by 2050, as stated in their 2023-2024 Annual Report.
“One of my favorite things about the Eco-Fair is we have such a diversity of tablers … Everyone can find a connection point. Whether you're interested in energy or engineering, we have a handful of tables you can visit,” Garner said. “My hope is that everyone can find a way to get involved by attending Eco-Fair, and that's really the main purpose behind organizing the event.”
Students from Contracted Independent Organizations and University Office of Sustainability leadership programs including Outdoors at U.Va., U.Va. Sustainability Advocates, Solar Car Team at U.Va. and “Green Game” volunteers each shared their unique perspectives about their involvement with sustainability advocacy on Grounds.
Outdoors at U.Va. is a student-run organization that hosts outdoor activities for students such as hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing and more. At the Eco-Fair, Outdoors at U.Va. highlighted their “Leave No Trace” principles. These principles — plan ahead and prepare, camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife and be considerate of others — are upheld by members during outdoor adventures.
To teach fair attendees about these sustainable principles, the group provided an activity that consisted of rubbing chalk against white paper on a flat surface while pressing a leaf underneath, resulting in a visible print. This activity served as an alternative solution to removing leaves from their natural environments — upholding the “leave what you find principle.”
Skylar Foley, Sustainability and Service Chair for Outdoors at U.Va. and third-year College student, said that these principles are highly valued by members of the group.
“Part of what we do is have fun outside and do kind of gnarly activities. But the sustainability theme of this event and this day is really important to bring that balance to what we do … to make sure we're having fun, but [also] taking care of the environment so that we can continue to have fun,” Foley said.
Another organization, the U.Va. Sustainability Advocates — a Student Sustainability Leadership Program branch of the Office for Sustainability — shared their experience removing a variety of invasive species along The Observatory Hill trails, including goji berry, honeysuckle, English ivy and wineberry.
Second-year College student Lucy Getacho shared her experience as a Sustainability Advocate on the invasive species removal project and said that sustainability advocacy can look different for everyone,, and vary in size and scope. Yet, according to Getacho, all sustainable efforts are valuable.
“I would just say it's really the small things like this that make the biggest difference. The more that people take action, the bigger the impact there will be,” Getacho said. “So even doing a small stewardship project like this, where we just went to the trails, will make a difference.”
Two other student organizations featured at the Eco-Fair combined their love for athletics with sustainability advocacy and volunteering. One of which, the Solar Car Team at U.Va. — an experiential learning program of the School of Engineering and Applied Science — provides students with the opportunities to design, manufacture, test and race solar cars. The other — “Green Game” volunteers — provides students with volunteer opportunities to compost and recycle at U.Va. athletic games such as football and lacrosse games.
Second-year Commerce student Theo Harsha and second-year College student Alina Bau — members of the Solar Car Team — showcased pictures of their solar-powered vehicles at the Eco-Fair and highlighted their goal of being a top-placing team in the American Solar Challenge in the near future. In this challenge, teams aim to design, build and drive fully solar-powered cars in a cross country time and distance race.
Stephen Hotchkin, third-year Engineering student and member of the Virginia Rowing Association, said that he enjoys helping to pick up trash alongside the “Green Game” volunteer group that helps to recycle and compost waste from University athletic games.
“The Really Awesome Trash Sorters is a student group dedicated to fostering mindful consumption and disposal practices among rower citizens, student athletes and the broader community,” Hotchkin said. “Seeing the amount of garbage that is produced at home athletic events, it galvanizes us to put our best foot forward make a difference.”
In addition to student groups, community partners were also present at the Eco-Fair, including Black Bear Composting, which challenged students to sort a variety of food-waste products into correct recycling, composting and landfill bins.
Eric Walter, chief composting officer and founder of Black Bear Composting, was present at the fair. Walter said that he founded the organization in 2010 in an effort to reduce as much local food waste as possible by composting organic waste materials such as food, uncoated paper and wood products and items labeled “compostable.”
Walter said he has partnered with the University to create the signage for the recycling, composting and landfill bins near University dining areas. According to Walter, compostable waste that is separated correctly can benefit the University by creating healthy soil in areas such as student gardens with the help of Black Bear Composting.
“Soil is one of the biggest carbon sinks on the planet, if not the biggest, so by just keeping the stuff out of the trash, you're doing all the good things,” Walter said.
In addition to the Earth Day Eco-Fair, the University’s Office for Sustainability is expected to host more Earth Month-related activities and events to celebrate community-wide involvement in environmental justice and advocacy for the remainder of April.
Read More
Winsome Earle-Sears talks higher education in first U.Va. event of the campaign
By Ford McCracken | 2 hours agoA Jamaican immigrant and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Earle-Sears is the first female lieutenant governor of Virginia,
Student Council votes to relocate Hereford orchard and basketball hoop
By Lauren Seeliger | 13 hours agoStudent Council passed a resolution Tuesday to relocate the orchard and basketball hoop of Hereford Residential College due to construction in the surrounding area.
Dean Rucker honored with Z Society’s highest honor, Pale Z Award
By Brendon Bordwine | YesterdayThe Society has a storied history of honoring University leaders with the Pale Z.
