The U of A is proud to celebrate Earth Day on Friday, April 22, and the entire campus community can play a part to help our planet. 

Throughout the week, the U of A will host of events for students, faculty and staff, including campus clean-ups, clothing swaps, garden workdays and an Earth Day Fair at the Union Mall showcasing sustainable student organizations and local businesses. 

A full calendar of events can be found here.

Earth Day, the annual international event demonstrating support for environmental protection, was established in 1970 and is celebrated in 192 countries each year. It is always celebrated on April 22 and has grown into a full week’s celebration known as Earth Week. 

“Earth Week is the perfect opportunity to acknowledge the progress we’ve made while educating our community about the challenges ahead,” said Eric Boles, director of the Office for Sustainability.

Earth Day is widely recognized as the largest secular observance in the world, celebrated by more than a billion people every year. It is a day for humanity to celebrate our common home and to recommit ourselves to restoring and protecting the home of our children. 

The Office for Sustainability is proudly launching its second annual Earth Week Passport, a curated list of activities, crafts and events that all have a focus on enhancing our community and environment. Students can participate in the Sustainability Passport by completing any of the activities listed on the passport and following the instructions on how to get the stamp for that activity. 

“The Sustainability Passport is a great way for students to engage with sustainability on many levels and through different lenses—from campus-wide events to personal challenges and activities,” says Todd Hansen of the Office for Sustainability.

The number of stamps collected can lead to awards, including pollinator seed packets, recycled plastic Nalgene bottles, stainless steel water bottles, Patagonia Backpacks and Eno Hammocks. Prizes can be picked up at the Office for Sustainability (238 Harmon Ave.) the following week.

For more information about Earth Week and how you can help, visit the Office for Sustainability website at sustainability.uark.edu. 

About the Office for Sustainability: The mission of the University of Arkansas Office for Sustainability (OFS) is to motivate, facilitate, and coordinate responsible practices through partnerships with students, faculty, and staff across all campus departments. The OFS uses the campus as a living laboratory by overseeing the implementation of the University of Arkansas environmental goals. These programs are part of the UA Resiliency Center, hosted by the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, and are supported by UA Facilities Management.

Eric Boles, director Office for Sustainability 479-575-3715, eboles@uark.edu

Tom Paradise, University Professor of geosciences, has been awarded a prestigious International Explorers Grant from the newly formed partnership beween The Explorers Club and the Discovery Channel.

This year marks the 20th consecutive year that the U of A has hosted Take Back the Night. It will be at 7 p.m. today, April 21, at the Chi Omega Greek Theatre.

The grant gives graduate students free access to advanced clinical training and online access to a database of materials needed to implement a therapy program for individuals with Parkinson's disease.

The second in the ongoing series of events celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the Buffalo National River will take place at 2 p.m. Friday, April 29, in the Honors College Lounge in Gearhart Hall.

Deacue Fields, dean of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, has been recommended by U of A System President Donald Bobbitt as the next vice president for agriculture.