Featured Events

RIT joins the world in celebrating Earth Month every April. You might be familiar with Earth Day, celebrated annually on April 22nd, Earth Month is a part of the global movement to demonstrate support for environmental sustainability for a 30-day period. Join us in recognizing Earth Month 2022 in a variety of ways.

Recurring Earth Month 2022 Events:

• RIT Earth Month Eco Challenge team! From April 1 - April 30, participants select actions that align with their values and make a 30-day commitment to complete those actions, all the while practicing and reinforcing good habits. For every completed action, you earn points and create a positive impact. Join us, and let your actions speak.

• Wednesday Wellness Walks | 12:15 - 12:45 p.m. RIT Sustainability is excited to partner with Better Me Wellness on this initiative. Join us for 30 minute, weekly wellness walks on Wednesdays in April 2022 between 12:15 - 12:45 p.m. as we discover nature right in the heart of campus! Each walk will explore a different outdoor location where hard-working RIT employees can spend a mindful wellness break.  Participants will also learn simple sustainability practices and how elements of nature can provide unique wellness benefits. Please meet near the cultural flags at the SAU and dress appropriately for the weather. In the event of heavy rain, the walk route will move to the tunnels on campus. Pre-registration is encouraged.  Walks will be led by Enid Cardinal and/or Neha Sood. 

• Community Gardening on Fridays | 3 - 5 p.m. Springtime is perfect for getting your hands dirty at the RIT Community Garden(s)! Join RIT Sustainability, Gosnell School of Life Sciences, and RIT Community Gardeners as we celebrate the beginning of another growing season! Learn about seed starting, growing your own flowers and vegetables, weeding techniques, composting, and more! For more information please connect with Vanessa Baker at vrb1404@rit.edu for more information.

• Saturdays at the Public Market | 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Did you know you can hop on a bus to the public market for FREE on Saturdays for the remainder of the semester? Take a free ride downtown and shop for fresh produce, ethnic delicacies, and much more! No RSVP required, bus is first come, first serve until max capacity on the bus is reached! Pick-up from Lot C at 10:30 a.m. and Kate Gleason Circle at 10:45 a.m. Leave the public market district at 12:30 p.m. This initiative is brought to you by the Wellness Collaborative.

Featured Events:

• Gray Matter: is Climate Change Racist? April 1 | 12 - 1 p.m. Kick-off Earth Month with a discussion on the intersectionality of racism and the climate action movement! Gray Matter is an open, facilitated, monthly dialogue on a new topic each session. We practice supporting free speech and "controversy with civility" in a safe environment. Join us for this free and virtual event. Register at https://cglink.me/2d1/r1552647 

• Gracie’s Forest Restoration April 2 | 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. RIT Sustainability is partnering with Fraternity & Sorority Life (FSL) and Facilities Management Services (FMS) to restore and maintain the Gracie’s forest trail for the RIT community to enjoy. Join us and help clear paths, marking trails for a new map system, and remove trash from the trails. Register at https://cglink.me/2d1/r1569049 

• Spring, Succulents, And Spirit April 8 | 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Join Spirituality and Religious Life (SRL) as we welcome Spring and celebrate its renewal of our bodies, minds, and souls! Come and decorate a potted plant that you can take back to your room for ongoing rejuvenation; take part in some fun raffles; and just enjoy each other’s company. The first 100 registrants will be guaranteed a plant and pot to decorate and/or take with them! Register at https://cglink.me/2d1/r1565304 

• Lights Out! April 10 | 7 - 9 p.m. Join RIT Student Government in learning about ways to reduce RIT’s energy footprint! Students are encouraged to turn their lights out for the duration of this event, and partake in sustainability-themed activities on the Greek Lawn.

• Trash Talk April 14 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. There is so much confusion about what to recycle on and off campus. We want to take some of the confusion away by discussing recycling in general, what we recycle on campus, where recycling stations are located, and how recycling affects our planet. This event will be held over zoom. Registration Link.

• Earth Day Yoga! April 22 | 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Join Better Me Wellness and GCCIS outside for Earth Day Yoga. Please bring a reusable water bottle and mat. The event will begin at 12:30pm with the first 15 minutes for sign in, and finding a location on the lawn. Please use the Eventbrite to make check in go faster. You can still attend the event and sign up the day of. In case of inclement weather the event will be moved indoors to SLA 2230,2220, 2210. Please consult with your physician before participating in any exercise activity. If you have any questions please email Lyndsay Herkimer at lmhigm@rit.edu.

• Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour at RIT April 18 - 20 | Doors open at 6 p.m., Showtime: 6:30 p.m. Get off the beaten path and explore the edge of believable with captivating stories from the 46th Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival. Stand on the highest peaks, ski the steepest slopes, and be a part of the gripping adventures waiting for you in this year’s Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour. From exploring remote landscapes to adrenaline-fueled action sports, films selected for the 2021/2022 World Tour are sure to captivate and amaze you. Be moved. Be inspired. Don’t miss out! Tickets available at www.rittickets.com 

• Goodbye, Goodbuy! Move-Out Collection Program April 29 - May 8 Every year, RIT students throw out over 100 tons of goods during move-out. The following fall, incoming students purchase the same items. The cycle continues, and usable items sit in landfills. Goodbye, Goodbuy! Helps change this cycle, and reduce waste! Students donate their unwanted items as they move out. Collection points are located in dorm lounges and near dumpsters at RIT apartments. Items collected are appropriately sorted to be donated to local non-profit organizations or to be stored over the summer for the fall sale. Sign up to volunteer at https://cglink.me/2d1/r1485741 

Earth Day Community Events:

Every year on April 22, Earth Day is celebrated to commemorate the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Support your neighborhood's environmental efforts by attending a local event on April 22nd:

• Climate Solutions Summit in Rochester, NY April 22 - 24  This inspiring weekend will offer individuals, organizations, and their leaders opportunities to hear from climate solutions leaders through a keynote presentation and panel discussion; plug into the regional climate action strategy developed by the Genesee-Finger Lakes Climate Collective; build skills in climate action, advocacy, organizing and leadership; take tangible, impactful action to advance climate solutions in our region and state; join field trips to experience pioneering people, programs, and practices across our region; network, connect, and cross-pollinate with climate-concerned neighbors from around the region. Contact neha.sood@rit.edu to learn about free registration options, sponsored by RIT.

• Town of Pittsford Earth Day Celebration April 22 | 1 - 3 p.m. Looking for something fun and exciting to do for Earth Day? Join the Town of Pittsford Recreation Department for a free event to help celebrate Earth Day! Stop by between 1pm and 4pm to plant seeds, enjoy our Story Walk, and more!

Check out @RITSustainability on Facebook Instagram for additional events, tips, and engagement opportunities. If you are hosting an event that you would like us to add to this list, please email sustainability@rit.edu.