Events

Sustainability events are happening year-round at UofL! Don't miss out!

What did I miss?! Check out our Past Events log.

Date Event
March 19, 2024 Sustainability Roundtable: Solar Over Louisville
Tuesday, March 19th, 4pm, Microsoft Teams, Add to your Calendar
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting (Conference ID: 266 387 272 198# Passcode: kxhTvM) or dial-in at 502-792-9582 (Phone Conference ID: 295 371 60#)

Programs and Initiatives | LouisvilleKY.govJoin the UofL Sustainability Council for our Spring Sustainability Roundtable series on alternate Tuesdays from 4:00-4:50pm (1/16, 1/30, 2/13, 2/27, 3/19, 4/2, 4/16, 4/23). We continue the series on March 19th with professor David Johnson from UofL Health Management and Systems Sciences, speaking on Community Participation, Experience, and Perceptions of the Solar Over Louisville Solarize Program, 2022-2023. The format is a 30-40 minute presentation from a variety of speakers throughout the year, followed by 15-20 minutes of open discussion. Anyone with an interest in sustainability can give talks at the speaker series and participate in the audience, including faculty, staff, students, practitioners, teachers, government officials, and members of the public. If you would like to give a presentation, or would like to hear a particular speaker, please contact Tamara Sluss.
Jan. 19 - April 30, 2024 Spring Garden Gatherings
Tuesdays, 4pm at the Garden Commons (northeast of the Baptist Center)
Fridays, 1pm at the Urban & Public Affairs Garden (426 W. Bloom St., behind Bettie Johnson Hall)
Garden Commons - First Planting at new location (Spring 2023)UofL’s organic campus gardens are great places to relax, reconnect, learn, and savor the sweet taste of sustainability! Students, faculty, staff, and the public are all welcome to come experience the thrill of turning tiny seeds into an abundance of hyper-local veggies, herbs, fruit & flowers. Stop by anytime to sample the goodness and help us keep things watered and weeded. We will gather weekly at both of our campus food gardens throughout the spring semester to harvest, weed, water & plant. Monthly hands-on Garden Workshops will also be offered at these times. Tools and gloves provided, but bring bags to harvest into! Everyone who comes is welcome to share in the harvest! Connect with us and get all the details on Facebook or Instagram.
March 19, 2024 Sustainability on Tap 3-19-24Sustainability on Tap
Tuesday, March 19th, 5pm, Pivot Brewing (1753 Bardstown Rd), Add to your Calendar
Come tap into our green network! The UofL Student Sustainability Coalition invites you to an informal gathering aimed at fostering meaningful connections with UofL faculty, staff, students, and anyone passionate about sustainability! If you are interested in connecting with like minded folks this is the perfect place for you. We believe that by bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, we can collectively work towards a more sustainable future! Stop in whenever you can - Trivia starts at 7pm!
Feb. 17 - Apr. 15, 2024 Clean4Cards trash pick up (Oct 2023)Clean4Cards Trash Pickup
Tuesday, March 19th, 5:30-6:30pm, Red Barn
Tuesday, April 2nd, 5:30-6:30pm, Red Barn
Saturday, April 6th 1:00-2:00pm, Red Barn
Saturday, April 13th, 9:30am-1pm, Meetup at Red Barn for carpool to cleanup at Falls of the Ohio

Monday, April 15th 1:00-2:00pm, Red Barn
Every two weeks we meet outside the Red Barn to go around campus and clean up litter!  If you have any questions, please reach out to us via Instagram or email ! Hosted by Clean4Cards, an organization designed to help clean-up and beautify our campus while promoting love and respect for it. RSVP on Engage.
March 19, 2024 Learning About Belonging Through Black Joy
Tuesday, March 19th, 6pm, Shumaker Research Building room 139, Add to your Calendar
The Department of Sociology's annual Rieger Speaker series, centering on the theme of racial justice, equity, and inclusion in higher education, presents a talk by Dr. Antar Tichavakunda titled 'Learning About Belonging Through Black Joy.' This year's focus aims to explore the imperative of achieving and nurturing a sense of belonging in higher education amidst shifting political landscapes. Drawing from his research on Black student experiences, Tichavakunda will illuminate valuable insights into fostering a sense of belonging within the evolving and often divisive landscape of higher education. Antar A. Tichavakunda, Assistant Professor at the University of California Santa Barbara, published Black Campus Life: The Worlds Black Students Make at a Historically White Institution, with SUNY Press. Learn more about Dr. Tichavakunda here. The focus of the 2024 Rieger Speaker series is on racial justice, equity, and inclusion in higher education, under the theme "Achieving and Fostering a Sense of Belonging in Higher Education in a Changing Political World." The co-sponsors are the Liberal Studies Program & the Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research.
March 20, 2024 Panel: Louisville's Climate - Navigating Local Dynamics & Impacts
Wednesday, March 20th, noon-1:30pm, BAB 218, Add to your Calendar
March 20th Louisville Climate Panel
March 21, 2024 Ecolympics 2024 logoEcolympics Procrastinators Party!
Thursday, March 21st, 5-8pm, SAC W107, Add to your Calendar
Have you been meaning to participate in Ecolympics 2024 and just haven't gotten around to it yet? Well it's not too late to take green actions and enter to win! The UofL Sustainability Council invites you out for a fun evening of crafting with us while we enjoy a home-cooked meal prepared with ingredients from the Cardinal Cupboard, and watch a sustainability-themed film together. Stick around afterward and post-film trivia contest with prizes. Please bring any donations for the UofL Free Store and the Cardinal Cupboard.
March 22, 2024 9th Annual Engaged Scholarship Symposium
Friday, March 22nd, 9am-5pm, Founders Union, UofL's Shelby Campus - Registration RequiredAdd to your Calendar
The Office of Community Engagement invites you to the 9th Annual Engaged Scholarship Symposium, on the theme of Community-University Collaboration: Working in Partnership with Our Community.
 The Symposium is an opportunity to network and share current research and teaching activities involving community partners and service to the community. Together we will explore the nature of university-community collaborations and the difference they are making. There are many university-community collaborations taking place through engaged-research, engaged-teaching, and outreach activities. These collaborations are making a difference in the lives of community members, our students, and our faculty. The 2024 Engaged Scholarship Symposium seeks to explore the nature of university-community collaborations and how they are helping revitalize our community. In what ways are university and community partners collaborating? What difference are these projects having on others? What lessons about these collaborations can be shared? One of the tracks of this year's symposium is: Sustainability, Justice, Environment, and community engagement – In what kinds of sustainability, justice, and/or environmental initiatives are university and community partners collaborating? How are we helping to promote sustainability in the community? How are UofL staff, faculty, and students engaged in work to promote environmental justice or support local sustainability initiatives? These topics will be explored through a variety of lightning talks, panel presentations, and round tables.
 The keynote speaker for this year’s Engaged Scholarship Symposium is Lorilee Sandman from the University of Georgia. Sandman is an expert on the institutionalization of community engagement and faculty roles and rewards related to community-engaged scholarship. Her keynote address will explore the transformative power of collaboration between universities and communities as both strategy and scholarship.
Join us at 9:10am for the presentation of this year's Community Engagement Awards and UofL's Josh Smith Sustainability Award. Named in honor of a former student who volunteered in support of sustainability at his alma mater and then died unexpectedly, UofL established this annual award to recognize community members or groups whose collaboration advances UofL’s sustainability efforts. Recipients can be mentors, volunteers, collaborators, advocates, etc. This year's recipient will be honored during the kickoff to the Engaged Scholarship Symposium.
See the full schedule here. Registration Required.
March 22, 2024 Weather and Gardening Workshop
Friday, March 22nd, 2:30pm, at the Garden Commons next to the Baptist Center (Add to your Calendar)
The https://se-images.campuslabs.com/clink/images/c51289f2-eccd-4c08-bc5e-105dc9e7664614d3007a-03ba-4adb-856c-7c2c14dbd755.png?preset=med-sqUofL student chapter of the American Meteorology Society and the Garden Commons invite you to come learn about how to make our garden more resilient in the face of climate chaos. We'll discuss our changing climate and the El Niño effect; how the USDA hardiness zones that guide our planting have already been changed; what grows as the climate gets worse; and the impacts on precipitation and what we can grow. We'll be installing a rain gauge at the Garden Commons to begin gathering data that will help inform our watering plans in the future. This is part of the spring series of Garden Workshops hosted by the Garden Commons, a shared, collectively-managed space, open to participation any time from students, staff, faculty, and community members. Everyone who comes is welcome to share in the harvest! Facebook Event.
Jan. 28 - Mar. 23, 2024

Ecolympics 2024 logoEcolympics 2024
January 28th to March 23rd

Two fun sustainability competitions to get you engaged in saving our one green planet! Facebook Event.

Post your sustainable actions and tag @UofLSustainable  or submit them through our online form to win the Grand Prize, or one of eight fabulous weekly prize baskets!

Campus Race To Zero Waste! - January 28 - March 23, 2024
A friendly annual competition among North American universities. During this 8 week period, UofL will compete to reduce waste, increase recycling & composting, and raise conservation awareness across all three campuses! Keep up with the Cards progress at the Campus Race websiteCampus Race to Zero Waste logo.

  • REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE! Help the Cards to victory by avoiding disposables (bring your own mug, bottle, plate, etc.), donating useful stuff to the UofL Free Store instead of throwing it away, and fully utilizing UofL’s amazingly easy, single-stream recycling system that lets you recycle everything in the same bin, everywhere on campus: all types of plastic, paper, cardboard, metal, and glass! Details on what you can recycle at UofL here.
  • COMPOST! Turn trash into treasure just by composting your food scraps and soiled paper products in the compost bins at the Garden Commons next to the Baptist Center and the Urban & Public Affairs Garden behind Bettie Johnson Hall. Request a compost caddy for your room through our online request form! If it came from a plant, we want to compost it: fruit & vegetable wastes/peels/rinds/seeds, baked goods, grains, tea bags, coffee grounds/filters, and all kinds of soiled paper products (tissues, towels, napkins, plates, cups, etc.). We are always collecting food wastes for composting from The Ville Grill, SAC Marketplace, and other campus dining locations and will be adding those numbers to UofL's organics recycling totals in the Campus Race to Zero Waste.
  • eWaste RecyclingRECYCLE E-WASTE! Don't send your old electronics to the landfill! We will have special collection points set up in the following locations Feb. 14 - March 13:
         BAB
     (1st floor lobby)
         SAC W310

         Duthie Center a
    t Speed School of Engineering (1st floor Study Area, SE corner)
         HSC Kornhauser Library
     (1st floor lobby behind elevators)
         >> There will also be a special Drive-up Drop-off Collection on Monday 3/4 from 8am-11am on the south side of the Clinical & Translational Research Building at HSC (505 S Hancock St.), by the elevators for the 620 Garage. The contact for the Drive-up Drop-off is Skip Hurley (502) 599-6228.
    Stop by any time to drop off any of the following types of electronics for recycling: all computers, monitors, televisions, printers, copiers, scanners, servers, networking equipment, fax machines, telephones and cellphones, RAM/memory, hard drives, battery backups, and peripherals such as keyboards, mice, speakers, AC adapters, and mixed computer cables/wires. We are partnering with UofL's eSports Club to help you Trash the competition, not the planet! Full details here.

Residence Hall Drawdown! - February 5-25, 2024
Residence Hall Drawdown 2024 ResultsLive on campus? Win with conservation! Inspired by Project Drawdown, UofL residence halls will compete among each other to see who can reduce electricity use the most over three weeks. The winning hall will earn a pizza party, sponsored by RHA! All you have to do is stop wasting energy! Turn off lights, fans, space heaters, TVs, game consoles, etc.; unplug anything you're not actively using (especially empty refrigerators); skip the elevator for the stairs; close windows tightly; wait until you have a full load to do laundry & wash with cold water; dry clothes on a rack/line; take shorter showers or shower with solar power at the SRC; etc.

Congratulations to residents of Unitas Tower for winning the Ecolympics Drawdown competition for the second year in a row!! Unitas residents reduced electricity use 6.4%. Second place goes to Belknap Village North (3.8% reduction) and 3rd to Louisville Hall (0.6% reduction). Across all nine residence halls, students saved 2,939 kWh (1.1%) of electricity, or the carbon emissions from 1,665 average U.S. homes each year, according to the EPA Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator! Ride the wave of conservation – continue to unplug, turn off, take stairs, line dry clothes, do laundry in cold water, etc. Anything you do to conserve can help you win weekly Ecolympics prize packs through March 23rd! Explore the full results on UofL's Building Dashboard.


Ecolympics 2024 Grand Prize PackPrizes:

  • Weekly prizes: At the end of each of the eight weeks of Ecolympics 2024, one person who has shared their sustainable action(s) will receive a themed gift basket!
  • Grand Prize: One impressive Cardinal who takes the most sustainable actions during Ecolympics 2024 will take home our grand prize basket! This year's grand prize is provided by our zero-waste friends at Peace of the Earth Refillery on Bardstown Rd. The Grand Prize basket contains a bunch of sustainable, green goodies and refillable containers, as well as a gift card.
  • Post your sustainable actions and tag @UofLSustainable or submit them through our online form throughout February & March to be entered into the competition! New winners will be picked each week! Enter as often as you can!
Every Sunday UofL Community Composting Volunteer DaysUofL Community Composting
Every Sunday, Noon-2pm (Add to your Calendar)
240 E. Bloom St. (block north of Cardinal Blvd. between Brook & Floyd Streets, map)

Come help us turn “trash” into treasure as we manage UofL’s volunteer-powered community composting operation. Dress to get dirty. Tools provided. Learn about worm composting and becoming a UofL EcoRep! All participants are welcome to haul home some rich UofL compost for gardening projects in your own containers/vehicle. This is a weekly service opportunity throughout the year. Contact: Brian Barnes, 502-338-1338.
March 26, 2024 Leigh Ann Conn Prize for Renewable Energy Laureate Lecture with The “Father of Modern Photovoltaics”
Tuesday, March 26th, 3:30-5pm, Gheens Science Hall & Rauch Planetarium, Add to your Calendar
UofL's Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research invites you to a free public lecture with 2023 Conn Prize Laureate, Dr. Martin Green, Scientia Professor, University of New South Wales, Australia. Professor Green — often described as the “father of modern photovoltaics” — is recognized for his pioneering efforts and groundbreaking achievements in high conversion efficiency of silicon photovoltaic materials as well as leading the invention and development of the passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar cell. The cells account for more than 90% manufactured in the world today at a sales value exceeding $100 billion USD to date. Hear his incredible technology development journey in person or streamed. Reception (Gheens Science Hall) 3:30 - 4:00, Lecture (Rauch Planetarium) 4:00 - 5:00.
March 26, 2024 Zero Waste Repair Fair & FREE SALE!
Tuesday, March 26th, 4:30-6:30pm, Red Barn (Add to your Calendar)

Repair Affair 3-26-24
The UofL Free Store is thrilled to announce this collaboration with the Louisville Time Bank, the Louisville Tool Library, and LVL1 Hackerspace to bring you a Zero Waste Repair Fair! Join us to learn new skills from community leaders! This event will have an array of community members who will be sharing skills that can be useful in life, community, and sustainability! We will also be having a free sale at the event! These pop-up Free Sales are offered by the student-run UofL Free Store, located in SAC W303C. They will be offered on last Tuesdays of each month throughout the year from 4:30-6:30pm at the Red Barn (outside in good weather). The space is like a thrift store where no money is exchanged and is run by students who help process donations and keep the store tidy and organized in support of the project to help keep useful items out of the landfill while meeting the needs of their peers. The Free Store is a space for the free exchange of clean, functional, durable items like clothing, shoes, electronics, small appliances, household items, cleaning, bath & beauty supplies, books, school & art supplies, and more. Donations of stuff will be accepted and can be made any time in the small bin outside the Free Store or in the large red bins at the Garden Commons, next to the Baptist Center. Follow the Free Store on Instagram or Facebook.
March 26, 2024 The Story of Anne Braden and Why It (Still) Matters
Tuesday, March 26th, 6:30-8pm, Main Public Library (301 York St.), Add to your Calendar

Dr. Cate FoslThe Louisville Free Public Library's Fast Classes are one-time educational events taught by local experts. Some explore current events, literature, and science; others teach practical skills and history. A Louisville native born in 1924 who grew up in Alabama, Anne McCarty Braden turned her back on a promising career as a newspaperwoman to dedicate herself for almost half a century to fierce advocacy for racial and social justice. Charged twice with sedition and arrested multiple times, Braden remained an outspoken writer and organizer locally until her death in 2006. Dr. Catherine Fosl, Co-Founder of University of Louisville’s Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research, will examine how Braden’s message has helped to shape our community and still resonates today. Catherine Fosl, PhD, is professor emerita at the University of Louisville, where she co-founded the Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research and directed it for 15 years. Fosl is the author of three books of history, including the award-winning Subversive Southerner: Anne Braden and the Struggle for Racial Justice in the Cold War South. This program is presented by MyLibraryU and is free and open to the public. Registration is requested online or by calling (502) 574-1623.

March 29, 2024 Envirome TourEnvirome Institute Tour
Friday, March 29th, 10-11:30am, Cardiovascular Innovation Building (302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd) - Register here
Join Connor Morozumi (Biology post-doc) and Emma Throneburg (Biology PhD Student) on a tour of UofL's Envirome Institute. We will begin our tour at the Cardiovascular Innovation Building at 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, where we will learn about the goals of the Envirome Institute with Dr. Ray Yeager, and tour a Mass spectrometry & bioanalytics lab with Dr. Pawel Lorkiewics & David Hoetker. Next, we will take a short walk to the Envirome Institute's Center for Cardiometabolic Science at 580 South Preston St, where we will tour a biomedical research lab with Dr. Brad Hill. We will dismiss around 11:30am. We have a limited amount of space, so we encourage you to sign up soon to avoid being waitlisted! More details will be sent in a follow-up email to all who register! Questions? Email emma.throneburg@louisville.edu and connor.morozumi@louisville.eduRegister here!
March 29, 2024 EcoReps Lunch & Learn Workshop: TimeBanking
Friday, March 29th, Noon-1:00pm, Cultural & Equity Center MPR (Add to your Calendar)
OR 
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting, or join by phone at 502-792-9582 (Conference ID: 135 251 995#)
Join us for our monthly EcoReps workshop featuring locals making a difference in sustainability and a free vegetarian lunch! We continue our spring series with Linda Erzinger, Chair of the https://www.louisvilletimebank.orgLouisville TimeBank, discussing how we build authentic, resilient, cooperative community right here in Louisville with the skills, knowledge, and time that we already possess. With over 600 members and over 28,000 hours exchanged, the Louisville TimeBank seeks to create a network of individuals and organizations that support and empower each other, which builds a social safety net that moves us towards being a more interdependent and resilient community. It is a place where everyone’s work is of equal value and we can all support each other in community. This time and talent exchange system is community-based, wherein members trade services according to the time invested rather than conventional currency. The overarching goal is to cultivate community building, reciprocity, and the sharing of skills.  All are welcome. Facebook Event.
The Sustainability Council’s EcoReps program is designed to move students, faculty & staff beyond talk to action for a more sustainable UofL! We provide basic training & resources, service opportunities, and leadership positions as a point-person & peer-to-peer advocate for sustainability. More info on EcoReps website.
April 2, 2024 Guerrilla Gardening Workshop
Tuesday, April 2nd, 4pm, Garden Commons, Add to your Calendar
Guerrilla GardeningJoin us in UofL's sustainable Garden Commons next to the Baptist Center to learn some successful strategies for beautifying and feeding the world in abandoned and ignored urban spaces! If you're like us and have walked by an ugly vacant lot and thought "Farm It!", then this is the workshop for you! We'll talk seed-bombs and etiquette and anything else you need to be empowered to make this city grow! This is part of the spring series of Garden Workshops hosted by the Garden Commons, a shared, collectively-managed space, open to participation any time from students, staff, faculty, and community members. Everyone who comes is welcome to share in the harvest! Facebook Event.
April 2, 2024 Sustainability Roundtable: Beyond Plastics
Tuesday, April 2nd, 4pm, Microsoft Teams, Add to your Calendar
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting (Conference ID: 266 387 272 198# Passcode: kxhTvM) or dial-in at 502-792-9582 (Phone Conference ID: 295 371 60#)

Beyond Plastics LouisvilleJoin the UofL Sustainability Council for our Spring Sustainability Roundtable series on alternate Tuesdays from 4:00-4:50pm (1/16, 1/30, 2/13, 2/27, 3/19, 4/2, 4/16, 4/23). We continue our series on April 2nd with special guest, Pam Raidt, a community activist and organizer who recently launched Beyond Plastics Louisville, part of a nation-wide, grassroots movement to raise awareness about plastic pollution and promote alternatives to single-use plastics. After decades spent promoting recycling, we know that less than 9% of all plastic produced has been recycled. We cannot recycle our way out of the plastic problem. Beyond Plastics seeks and supports sustainable solutions. The format is a 30-40 minute presentation from a variety of speakers throughout the year, followed by 15-20 minutes of open discussion. Anyone with an interest in sustainability can give talks at the speaker series and participate in the audience, including faculty, staff, students, practitioners, teachers, government officials, and members of the public. If you would like to give a presentation, or would like to hear a particular speaker, please contact Tamara Sluss. Facebook Event.
April 3, 2024 UNA Women Earth Day WorkshopUNA Women Earth Day Workshop
Wednesday, April 3rd, 6-7pm, SAC W107, Add to your Calendar
UofL's chapter of UNA Women invites you to an early Earth Day workshop on April 3rd. Join us in making sustainability more accessible! Together, we will design a personalized tote bag that you can use in your everyday to reduce single-use plastic waste!
April 4, 2024 Environmental Health Sciences Seminar: The Work of Air Justice
Thursday, April 4th, 11am-noon, room 124 Clinical & Translational Research Building, or Microsoft Teams
Poole & Cochran 2023Add to your Calendar
Join UofL’s Center for Integrative Environmental Health Sciences and the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology for the next EHS seminar with Megan Poole, assistant professor of English, and Eboni Neal Cochran, co-director of Rubbertown Emergency Action (REACT), a grassroots organization of residents living near or at the fence-line of a cluster of chemical facilities commonly referred to as “Rubbertown.” Her work helps residents fight for strong laws to stop toxic air pollution at local, state, and federal levels and full disclosure of chemical exposures.Megan Poole (Ph.D., Penn State University) is an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Louisville where she specializes in rhetoric, feminist science studies, and science and technical writing. Her research considers how rhetoric can bring the sciences to value non-traditional ways of knowing, such as embodied knowledge that comes through lived experience. Eboni received the UofL Sustainability Council's 2023 Josh Smith Sustainability Award for her work with Dr. Poole, who is an alum of the Council's Green Threads Program. Register here for online attendance.
April 4, 2024 Inaugural Baldwin-King Memorial Lecture
Thursday, April 4th, 6pm, Roots 101: African American Museum (124 N 1st St), Add to your Calendar
The Baldwin-King Project logoUofL's Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute’s Baldwin-King Project invites everyone to join us for the inaugural Baldwin-King Memorial Lecture offered on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. This gathering will be built around a lecture and audience conversation on, “What would James Baldwin and Martin Luther King, Jr. think of America today?” It is FREE and open to the public.
April 6, 2024 Lucky Horseshoe Neighborhood Tree Planting
Saturday, April 6th, 10am-2pm, Wellman Memorial Wesleyan Church (3220 Bohannon Ave) - Register here.
Community Tree PlantingThe UofL Sustainability Council invites everyone out to join us at this neighborhood tree planting sponsored by Louisville Grows on the southern edge of our Belknap campus! We seek your volunteer support to help restore the tree canopy in the Lucky Horseshoe neighborhood just south of campus in the area around Churchill Downs. Join us to help us improve the health of the residents in the Lucky Horseshoe neighborhood through urban forestry. Trained Citizen Foresters will lead groups of volunteers to properly plant trees on residential and business properties, and in the right-of-ways along the streets. No experience is necessary, everyone is welcome to come play in the dirt with us! This planting is sponsored by MSD in partnership with Louisville Metro District 15's inaugural Building Our Blocks (BOB) program. Building Our Blocks is an event that seeks to transform a single neighborhood in one day through projects such as tree plantings, home repair, street safety improvements, beautification, and more. The goal is to be proactive in solving issues our community members face daily by bringing city services to their doorstep. Registration begins at 9:30 am. Planting groups depart at 10:00 am. Snacks, coffee and water will be provided. Dress appropriately for the weather and for getting dirty. Closed-toed shoes are required. We will plant trees come rain or shine. Register here.
April 8, 2024 Farmers Market April 8, 2024“Market Monday” Farmers Market
Monday, April 8th, 12:30-2:30pm, Red Barn plaza
The Honors Student Council and Student Sustainability Council are inviting local farmers, food producers, and student vendors to offer their goods to the UofL community, as we all enjoy the total solar eclipse! Full details TBA.
April 10, 2024 Save the date: Breonna Taylor Lecture on Structural Inequality set for April 10Breonna Taylor Lecture on Structural Inequality
Wednesday, April 10th, 6pm, Speed Art Museum
Damon Hewitt, president/executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, will deliver the 2024 Breonna Taylor Lecture on Structural Inequality. He will present "Democracy Forward: Advocacy, Empowerment and Inclusion.” The recipients of the Darryl T. Owens Community Service Award and Breonna Taylor Legacy Fellowships will be announced. The event is sponsored by the UofL Brandeis School of Law. For questions, contact Jill Scoggins, 852-6374.
April 15, 2024 Dying of Whiteness - A Conversation with Jonathan Metzl
Monday, April 15th, noon, HSC Kornhauser Library auditorium, Add to your Calendar
The University of Louisville Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and our supportive UofL communities, cordially welcome you to join a conversation with psychiatrist and award-winning author Jonathan Metzl. Dr. Metzl is the author of the groundbreaking book, Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland. His recently released book, What We’ve Become: Living and Dying in a Country of Arms, looks at a racially charged mass shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, and reexamines how we as a nation should address gun violence. Being a gun violence expert, professor, and psychiatrist is a unique combination that allows Dr. Metzl to speak and write about gun violence in America, and in particular to address stereotypes that link guns with race or mental illness, or that blame mental illness for mass shootings and other gun crimes. Dr. Metzl is the Frederick B. Rentschler II Professor of Sociology and Psychiatry, and the director of the Department of Medicine, Health, and Society, at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He received his MD from the University of Missouri, MA in humanities/poetics and psychiatric internship/residency from Stanford University, and PhD in American culture from University of Michigan. If you cannot join us in person, there is also an option to attend virtually. Light snacks and refreshments will be available on a first come, first served basis for in-person attendees. For virtual guests, the link will be shared via email closer to the event date. Carmichael's Bookstore has partnered with us to sell copies of Dr. Metzl's books during the event, and Dr. Metzl will be available for a short time to sign books at the conclusion of the event. This is a FREE event, open to all. ASL interpreting provided. Contact hscodi@louisville.edu with questions.
April 16, 2024 Sustainability Roundtable: Social Impact of Louisville's Newest Park
Tuesday, April 16th, 4pm, Microsoft Teams, Add to your Calendar
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting (Conference ID: 266 387 272 198# Passcode: kxhTvM) or dial-in at 502-792-9582 (Phone Conference ID: 295 371 60#)

Alberta O. Jones Park opens | LouisvilleKY.govJoin the UofL Sustainability Council for our Spring Sustainability Roundtable series on alternate Tuesdays from 4:00-4:50pm (1/16, 1/30, 2/13, 2/27, 3/19, 4/2, 4/16, 4/23). We continue the spring series with Quincy Langford, UofL Sustainability Masters student, sharing his research on Surveying Resident Experience and Mapping Block Conditions near Alberta Jones Park. The format is a 30-40 minute presentation from a variety of speakers throughout the year, followed by 15-20 minutes of open discussion. Anyone with an interest in sustainability can give talks at the speaker series and participate in the audience, including faculty, staff, students, practitioners, teachers, government officials, and members of the public. If you would like to give a presentation, or would like to hear a particular speaker, please contact Tamara Sluss.
April 18, 2024 Kentuckiana Meeting for Advancing Participatory Sciences: Integrating Health, Environment, and Community Resilience
Thursday, April 18th, 9am-4pm, at the Urban Design Studio (427 W Muhammad Ali Blvd) - Registration Required
As the intersection of environmental sustainability, health, and community development gains significance, it is imperative to foster collaboration among organizations leading efforts in these domains. Recognizing the shared commitment to fostering resilient communities, this meeting aims to explore synergies between climate change, health, outdoor recreation, and community resilience, fostering a holistic approach to address common challenges through a New Vision of Health. Join for a day of recognizing opportunities, showcasing excellence and envisioning new partnerships in support of high-impact participatory sciences—variously called citizen science, community science, volunteer monitoring, and other things—in the Kentuckiana region. Through plenaries, posters, and facilitated discussions participants will work towards developing actionable strategies that address climate change, health, and community resilience in an integrated manner. Registration fees are being sponsored by the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the University of Louisville, which is organizing the event. Registration includes seats for the morning plenary session, lunch, seats for facilitated, themed breakout discussions, and light refreshments during an afternoon networking hour. Please register by April 7, 2024 to ensure we have sufficient food. A small surcharge will be added for registrations received after April 1st.Learn more and register here.
April 18, 2024 Kiese Laymon: Why America Needs Revision
Thursday, April 18th, 6pm, MITC Bigelow Hall, Add to your Calendar
The 17th-Annual Anne Braden Memorial Lecture by Kiese Laymon has been rescheduled from fall 2023 to Thursday, April 18, 2024.

Kiese LaymonLaymon is the Libbie Shearn Moody Professor of English and Creative Writing at Rice University. He is a former MacArthur Fellow and the founder of “The Catherine Coleman Literary Arts and Justice Initiative,” a program based out of the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University. Kiese is also the author of several best-selling literary works including “Heavy: An American Memoir,” “Long Division,” and “How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America.” Learn more about Mr. Laymon here. Free and open to the public with a book sale and signing to follow the lecture. Register here.
April 19, 2024 EcoReps Lunch & Learn Workshop: UofL Maple Syrup & Honey Pancake Party!
Friday, April 19th, Noon-2:00pm, Cultural & Equity Center MPR (Add to your Calendar)
OR 
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting, or join by phone at 502-792-9582 (Conference ID: 135 251 995#)
UofL Maple SyrupJoin us for our monthly EcoReps workshop featuring locals making a difference in sustainability and a free vegetarian lunch! We'll wrap up the year with our annual celebration of our sweet sustainability harvests on campus, as we sample some of this year's maple syrup and honey harvests! Come enjoy some pancakes with our very own local sweetness. All are welcome. You'll also learn about tapping UofL maple trees to make syrup and raising honeybees on campus! In a special extended session, we'll also hear presentations from students in the spring Urban Agriculture class about:
1.    Escargot (snails) with vertical farming in a warehouse;
2.    Aquaponics; and
3.    Mushrooms

The Sustainability Council’s EcoReps program is designed to move students, faculty & staff beyond talk to action for a more sustainable UofL! We provide basic training & resources, service opportunities, and leadership positions as a point-person & peer-to-peer advocate for sustainability. More info on EcoReps website.
April 23, 2024 Sustainability Roundtable: Community Gardens: Finding Common Ground in Food Insecurity
Tuesday, April 23rd, 4pm, Microsoft Teams, Add to your Calendar
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting (Conference ID: 266 387 272 198# Passcode: kxhTvM) or dial-in at 502-792-9582 (Phone Conference ID: 295 371 60#)

Garden GatheringJoin the UofL Sustainability Council for our Spring Sustainability Roundtable series on alternate Tuesdays from 4:00-4:50pm (1/16, 1/30, 2/13, 2/27, 3/19, 4/2, 4/16, 4/23). We conclude our spring series on April 23rd with a presentation by Morgan Early, a UofL Sustainability Masters student, presenting on Community Gardens: Finding Common Ground in Food Insecurity. Join us for a comprehensive overview of community gardens, including the history of the movement, the benefits, the drawbacks, and the obstacles that these spaces face. This includes a case study of UofL's Garden Commons, the unique qualities that help this garden thrive, and visions of potential garden expansions. The format is a 30-40 minute presentation from a variety of speakers throughout the year, followed by 15-20 minutes of open discussion. Anyone with an interest in sustainability can give talks at the speaker series and participate in the audience, including faculty, staff, students, practitioners, teachers, government officials, and members of the public. If you would like to give a presentation, or would like to hear a particular speaker, please contact Tamara Sluss. Facebook Event.
April 23, 2024 UofL Free Store FREE SALE!
Last Tuesdays, August - April, 4:30-6:30pm, Red Barn (Add to your Calendar)

These pop-up Free Sales are offered by the student-run UofL Free Store,
Free Sales Flyerlocated in SAC W303C. They will be offered on last Tuesdays of each month throughout the year from 4:30-6:30pm at the Red Barn (outside in good weather). The space is like a thrift store where no money is exchanged and is run by students who help process donations and keep the store tidy and organized in support of the project to help keep useful items out of the landfill while meeting the needs of their peers. The Free Store is a space for the free exchange of clean, functional, durable items like clothing, shoes, electronics, small appliances, household items, cleaning, bath & beauty supplies, books, school & art supplies, and more. Donations of stuff will be accepted and can be made any time in the small bin outside the Free Store or in the large red bins at the Garden Commons, next to the Baptist Center. Follow the Free Store on Instagram or Facebook.
Jan. 8 - Apr. 22, 2024 Free Store logoFree Store Spring Hours
Monday - Thursday, 10am-5pm, SAC W303C
UofL’s Free Store is conveniently located in SAC W303C, just down the hall from the Cardinal Cupboard on the 3rd floor of SAC West. Throughout the Spring 2024 semester, it will be open Monday through Thursday from 10am-5pm, every day of classes. UofL's Sustainability Council invites everyone in our campus community to come "shop" for free clothing, shoes, accessories, linens, household items, bath/beauty/cleaning supplies, books & media, school & art supplies, electronics, small appliances, and more. Reuse, reuse, reuse! Donations can be made any time in the small bin outside the door of SAC W303C or in the big red bins at the Garden Commons next to the Baptist Center. Help us keep useful stuff out of the landfill while helping those in need! Volunteers are always welcome to keep the store open and tidy while sorting donations. UofL promotes an inclusive environment for all, regardless of gender identity and/or gender expression. The Free Store is a Transgender-Friendly space. The Free Store is closed whenever the university is not in session. Follow the Free Store on Instagram or Facebook.
May 1-31, 2024 Bike Month ChallengeBike Month Challenge
May 1st – 31st, 2024

May is perfect for pedaling! Saddle up and ride for Team UofL in the Bike Month Challenge! Reap the rewards of a healthy lifestyle, show your support for sustainable transportation, and help improve cycling in your community. Register for the Bike Month Challenge as an individual to be entered to win fabulous national prizes like:
  • $1000 Early Bird Prize for registering before April 30th
  • $50, $250, $500 Encourager Prizes for encouraging others to ride
  • $2500 Grand Prize!
graphic of a $2,500 gift cardJoin Team UofL on Strava to log your rides and encourage/compete against your peers. Simply log your trips by bicycle for fun, fitness, or transportation. Check out our online resources for UofL Bicyclists - with handy maps, videos, and tips for getting around town care-free and car-free!
May 11, 2024 <Pop-Up Drop-Off Community Recycling Event
Saturday, May 11th, 10am-2pm, UofL Shelby Campus (440 N Whittington Pkwy), Add to your Calendar

Pop-Up Drop-Offs are free recycling and large item disposal events for residents of Jefferson County.

Pop-Up Drop-OffAccepted Items:

  • Up to 3 electronic items (recycled)
  • Metal & appliances, no refrigerators or any items containing coolant (recycled) 
  • Up to 4 passenger tires (recycled)
  • Household recyclables, follow curbside rules (recycled)
  • Yard waste, follow curbside rules, wooden pallets (composted)
  • Large household items (landfilled) 
  • Documents for shredding (recycled)
  • Prescription medication (disposed properly)

Items must already be separated into categories for easy off-loading so as much can be recycled as possible.

Not Accepted:

  • Garbage, loose debris (use curbside garbage collection or take to landfill)
  • Concrete, bricks, rocks
  • Construction materials (take to Waste Reduction Center, fees apply)
  • Refrigerators or items containing coolant (take to Waste Reduction Center, or metal recycling facility)
  • Latex paint (disposal information)
  • Batteries, light bulbs, oil-based paint, varnishes, stains, and other household hazardous waste (take to Haz Bin)
  • Tree trunks  
  • Boats, hot tubs
  • Items from businesses
  • Trailers greater than 10 feet in length (larger loads can be taken to the Waste Reduction Center)
This event sponsored by: Department of Public Works and Assets (Louisville/Jefferson County Waste Management District in partnership with Solid Waste Management Services Division) and Metro Council. More info.
May 17, 2024 Bike To Work Day!
Friday, May 17th
Bike to Work Day 2024The UofL Sustainability Council urges everyone to celebrate National Bike to Work Day with Bike Louisville on Friday, May 17th! Grab your bike and join in the fun at any of our meet & ride locations where seasoned ride captains will lead group rides downtown, finishing at Fourth Street Live! for coffee, donuts, and raffle prizes. Rides headed to downtown will depart at 7:30am from:
  • Seneca Park
  • Iroquois Park
  • Shawnee Park
  • George Rogers Clark Park
Meet back at Fourth Street Live! at 5:30pm for return rides. More information here. Register here.
May 28, 2024 Serviceberry Foraging Workshop
Tuesday, May 28th, 4pm, Garden Commons (NE corner of Baptist Center) (Add to your Calendar)
Serviceberry ForagingBring a pail or Tupperware and get ready to load up on the sweetest "secret" right under our noses! Serviceberries (aka Juneberries) are native to Kentucky (and 48 states!). They are planted all over the city as a common, low-maintenance street tree. The fruits are ripe for only two weeks around June 1st. They are similar to blueberries but a little bit nutty (the trees are in the almond family!). UofL's campus boasts many loaded serviceberries and during this special workshop, we will walk around to visit many of them! Pick and take home as many as you can. Enjoy them fresh or freeze them for pies and smoothies year-round! Meetup at the Garden Commons and we'll go from there. For inspiration, read Robin Wall Kimmerer's deeply insightful essay, The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance.  Facebook Event.
June 6 – Sept. 26, 2024
Gray Street Farmers MarketGray Street Farmers’ Market
Thursdays, June 6th – Sept 26th, 10:30am‒1:30pm
Health Sciences Center, 400 E. Gray St.

UofL's farmers' market is back to at our original location in 2024! With many unique local vendors and food trucks, you'll find the finest in farm-fresh products, including locally grown produce, coffee, desserts, crafts, grab-and-go lunch items, and more. Cash, debit cards, SNAP benefits, and Senior Vouchers accepted! Open rain or shine, lunch-time on Thursdays, June 6 - Sept. 26, 2024. The market is operated by UofL's School of Public Health and Information Sciences in partnership with Catholic Charities’ Common Earth Gardens. Access our collection of delicious recipes for local products. The GSFM operates the Kentucky Double Dollars program to make healthy food more affordable for individuals who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. We match spending by the SNAP customer up to $12 per week for fruits and vegetables. More info: GSFM website; contact Market Manager, Melissa Schreck, 502-852-8781, farmersmarket@louisville.edu; or follow on Facebook and Twitter.
Oct. 19, 2024 Pop-Up Drop-Off Community Recycling Event
Saturday, October 19th, 10am-2pm, UofL Shelby Campus (440 N Whittington Pkwy), Add to your Calendar

Pop-Up Drop-Offs are free recycling and large item disposal events for residents of Jefferson County.

Pop-Up Drop-OffAccepted Items:

  • Up to 3 electronic items (recycled)
  • Metal & appliances, no refrigerators or any items containing coolant (recycled) 
  • Up to 4 passenger tires (recycled)
  • Household recyclables, follow curbside rules (recycled)
  • Yard waste, follow curbside rules, wooden pallets (composted)
  • Large household items (landfilled) 
  • Documents for shredding (recycled)
  • Prescription medication (disposed properly)

Items must already be separated into categories for easy off-loading so as much can be recycled as possible.

Not Accepted:

  • Garbage, loose debris (use curbside garbage collection or take to landfill)
  • Concrete, bricks, rocks
  • Construction materials (take to Waste Reduction Center, fees apply)
  • Refrigerators or items containing coolant (take to Waste Reduction Center, or metal recycling facility)
  • Latex paint (disposal information)
  • Batteries, light bulbs, oil-based paint, varnishes, stains, and other household hazardous waste (take to Haz Bin)
  • Tree trunks  
  • Boats, hot tubs
  • Items from businesses
  • Trailers greater than 10 feet in length (larger loads can be taken to the Waste Reduction Center)
This event sponsored by: Department of Public Works and Assets (Louisville/Jefferson County Waste Management District in partnership with Solid Waste Management Services Division) and Metro Council. More info.

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