Willimantic, Conn. – Eastern Connecticut State University is joining colleges across the state in hosting Connecticut Campus Sustainability Week, a series of events open to the public from Oct. 5 – 9 to showcase and promote campus sustainability.
The weeklong celebration is the work of the Connecticut Alliance for Campus Sustainability, a network of state universities founded in 2014 to address climate change and energy efficiency at both local and state levels. The alliance is co-chaired by Yale University and Eastern’s Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE).
Campus Sustainability Week is an extension of Campus Sustainability Month, an international initiative in October coordinated by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). A variety of events will be held around the world to recognize the successes, challenges and innovations in sustainability in higher education.
“Campus Sustainability Week reflects the alliance’s goal to empower sustainability actions through collaboration,” said ISE Director Lynn Stoddard. “This celebration is a great way to engage a diverse audience — from students to faculty to community members — in a dialogue about sustainability on a global scale. We hope that people can come away from these events inspired to be more cognizant of their world, on a social as well as environmental level.”
Some of the events to be held include:
Eastern will host Green Themed Yoga on Oct. 9 from 12 – 1 p.m. in the Dance Studio of the Sports Center. Nanette Tummers, professor of kinesiology and physical education, will lead the yoga class and discuss the commonalties between sustainability and yoga. Discover not only how to connect with your body, but with the environment your body interacts with every day.
The University of Hartford will host the Campus Sustainability Showcase on Oct. 8 from 12:15 – 1:45 p.m. at the Regents Commons of the Shaw Center. The showcase will feature exhibits and posters highlighting the University’s sustainability efforts. Come learn about the campus greenhouse, irrigation system, micro grid project and other initiatives.
Yale University will host the Farmington Canal Walk on Oct. 8 from 12:45 – 2 p.m., starting between Sachem Street and the Yale Health Center. Learn about the historic Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, a greenway for non-carbon transportation and recreation. Participants will have the option to clean up the trail along the two-mile walk.