30 Years of Earthfest
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Every fall, the University of Michigan shines a spotlight on environmental and sustainability issues during Earthfest.
“The focus of the event is to provide the U-M campus community with the opportunity to learn more about the different ways that they can make sustainability a bigger part of their campus experience,” says Ashlee Bise, an event coordinator and graphic designer in the Office of Campus Sustainability, which plans the event.
This year’s Earthfest will take place on Sept. 30 as part of U-M’s inaugural Climate Week, with other sustainability-themed events across campus.
In general, Bise says 40 to 50 different student groups, campus departments, and community organizations set up tables on the Diag, where they interact with passers-by.
“[Earthfest] gives our students that first window into things that they may not have even considered to be sustainability-related,” Bise says.
In the past, she adds, the Leslie Science and Nature Center has brought in animal ambassadors (such as a hawk or turtle) to introduce to students, who can also use the occasion to find out about potential volunteer opportunities.
Meanwhile, Common Cycle, a nonprofit local bicycle co-op, frequently sets up a free bike repair station during Earthfest. By biking around campus, representatives point out, students can reduce their carbon footprint. The station also has an added benefit: it lets students know about a community resource they might not otherwise know exists.
Various engagement activities are typically planned for students as well. Because quite a few trees around the Diag have been destroyed in recent years’ storms, Bise says one of the most popular activities involves planting new trees. An arborist is invited to campus to guide the planting.
“Students actually get to help plant the tree, so once they leave campus after four years, or however long they’re here, they get to come back 10 or 15 years down the road and say, ‘Hey, I planted that tree!’ Like, ‘I have left a mark here on the campus,’” she says.
The very first Earthfest was held in 1995, when the event was known as “Energyfest.” At that time, the focus was less on general sustainability and more on energy conservation activities.
“But as sustainability has grown and expanded here, [the event has] evolved to have a much broader focus that’s been shaped by the University’s overall vision for climate action and sustainability,” Bise says.
Bise says Earthfest is an important event because it provides University groups and community organizations with the opportunity to connect both with each other and with students, many of whom are being given their “first look at sustainability on campus.”
“We’re also trying to get students, faculty, staff, and community members to engage and to leverage their strengths to enhance sustainability here at the University while still being guided by the University’s broader vision,” she adds.
Still, leaders don’t expect students to walk away with a complete understanding of all things sustainability. Instead, Bise hopes the event helps students find the “tidbits and pieces” they can incorporate into their lives.
“It’s better to start small than not at all,” she says.
Natalia Holtzman, MSI’19, is a freelance writer based in Ann Arbor.
