April 22 is Earth Day, and the med center will celebrate Earth Month throughout April, focusing on nature and biodiversity. The events offer opportunities to learn more about how the med center improves the community’s biodiversity and what the med center is doing to maintain a natural environment.
Check out this event list to learn how to participate in the Earth Month celebrations and engage with nature.
Nature photo contest: All month, online
The UNMC Office of Sustainability is hosting a photo contest. Entrants can share how they interact with nature on or off campus during April for the chance to win a gift card to a local business or an upcycled lab coat tote bag.
Health Care Ecochallenge: All month, online
Join the Health Care EcoChallenge, where you can take sustainable action directly related to health care and health topics. Click here to join the med center team and earn points. Top-scoring participants will be recognized and receive a local gift card or a lab coat tote bag at the end of the month.
Campus cleanup: April 24, noon-1 p.m., Lot 64 (native prairie area)
Note: Due to the possibility of severe weather, the date of the event has been changed from April 16 to April 24. Join in picking up trash around campus over lunch time with the Blue Bucket Project. A group will be cleaning up at Lot 64 around the native prairie, making sure the prairie is clean while also learning more about its benefits and other engagement opportunities. Register here and invite friends, coworkers and classmates.
Arbor Day tree planting ceremony: Wednesday, May 1, noon-1 p.m., at the far west end of the Ruth & Bill Scott Student Plaza between the Sorrell Center and Williams Science Hall.
Note: Due to the weather, the date of the event has been changed to May 1. Join the UNMC Office of Sustainability, HEAL, and UNMC Student Senate in the biannual tree planting event for the planting of a Japanese lilac tree. Help improve green spaces on campus while learning more about the med center’s planetary report card. Stickers, snacks, seeds and saplings will be available, and participants will have the chance to name the tree being planted.
Webinar, ‘Urban Pollinator Habitat: Supporting Health & Wellness’: April 9, noon-1 p.m., virtual
The UNMC Office of Sustainability will host an online webinar to teach about urban pollinator habitats and their impact on health. The two guest speakers will be Benjamin Vogt, owner of the prairie-inspired design firm Monarch Gardens, and Bob Gittins, president and founder of Nebraska Monarchs.
LiveGreen ambassador kick-off: April 19th, 12-1 p.m., virtual
LiveGreen Ambassador Program has officially become an Employee Resource Group at the med center. Join the group on April 19 to begin planning what the LiveGreen Ambassador Program will look like this year. The program is an excellent opportunity for faculty and staff to create climate action on campus. To learn more about previous efforts by LiveGreen Ambassadors, go to the LiveGreen website.
Personal electronic waste and techno trash shredding event: May 7, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and May 8, 6 a.m.-2 p.m., UNMC grounds building
Earth Month events will extend into May with the med center’s annual recycling event. Bring e-waste and old media to be recycled. Seedlings and wildflower seed packets will be available, courtesy of the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District. Details are available on the website. If interested in volunteering at the event, click here.