Colgate University’s Office of Sustainability invited the campus community to unite for the 15th annual 13 Days of Green celebration, April 10–22. This tradition featured a diverse lineup of educational, thought-provoking, and fun events designed to highlight environmental challenges and inspire sustainable action both locally in the Hamilton community and around the world. The celebration coincided with the 55th annual Earth Day.
Throughout the series, students, faculty, staff, and alumni engaged in a variety of events hosted in collaboration with campus partners, including ALANA Cultural Center, University Museums, First@Colgate, the Max A. Shacknai Center for Outreach, Volunteerism, and Education, and Chapel House.
“Making sustainable changes at the institutional level takes year-round, behind-the-scenes collaboration across campus,” said Julia Sparks, assistant director of the sustainability and program coordinator for the Environmental Studies Program. “While much of our work focuses on digging into data or discussing operational barriers, 13 Days of Green provides an opportunity to celebrate progress, spotlight ongoing gaps, and actively engage the campus community.”
The celebration kicked off in the Coop Media Room, with tabling by student groups, live music from student band Without Walter, and Maxwell’s ice cream. Subsequent events ranged from hands-on outdoor activities like the Leave No Trace workshop and hike and sustainable foraging trips, to thoughtful indoor conversations and panels. A screening of The True Cost explored the dark realities of the fast fashion industry, and S-Rep alumni discussed careers in sustainability.
Participants also had the opportunity to slow down and connect with nature through events like a forest bird walk, sunrise meditation sessions at Chapel House, and gardening discussions about adapting to an uncertain climate.
The Swap and Stitch event, co-hosted by ALANA and First@Colgate, encouraged students to ditch fast fashion by swapping clothes and learning how to repair garments that they already have. The Earth Day Extravaganza on April 18, hosted by the Student Sustainability Council, offered an afternoon of cookouts, live music, and sustainable arts and crafts, celebrating the collective impact of students engaged in sustainability efforts across campus.
“By empowering both newcomers to sustainable action and longtime sustainability advocates, our impact goes far beyond what our office could achieve alone,” Sparks noted. “Everyone has a role to play in making our campus better for the long run.”
Service opportunities, like the Day of Service on April 19, connected volunteers with local organizations for projects such as invasive plant removal and garden preparation, reinforcing the series’ message that meaningful change begins with local action.
A highlight of the series was the Environmental Studies and Oak Awards Ceremony on April 17, which helped to recognize students, faculty, staff, and teams who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to sustainability at Colgate.
As Earth Day approached, participants reflected and looked forward. Initiatives like Face Your Waste at Frank Dining Hall on April 22 brought attention to food waste in a striking, visual way. In the span of three hours, Office of Sustainability interns collected and measured a total of 73.6 pounds of post-consumer food waste, displaying mostly intact plates of discarded food to help students see their personal contributions. On the other hand, the talk Finding Climate Optimism When Hope Seems Lost offered strategies for maintaining hope and motivation in the face of daunting climate challenges.
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