Events
Sustainability events are happening year-round at UofL! Don't miss out!
All UofL Sustainability events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. What did I miss?! Check out our Past Events log.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Oct. 14, 2025 |
Research Talk: Housing, Utility Costs, and Climate Justice in Louisville: Applied Research on Rising Risks Tuesday, Oct. 14th, noon, virtual meeting on Microsoft Teams - Register here. Join UofL's Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research and UofL's Sustainability Roundtable for this joint talk presenting local research on the rising risks to housing, utility costs, and everyday life from climate change. Dr. Nathaniel O’Grady, Assistant Professor in Human Geography and Disasters at the University of Manchester, researches lived experiences of climate-related disasters and their entanglement in urban planning processes. Sarah Pierce, the Housing and Energy Affordability Program Coordinator at the Metropolitan Housing Coalition, oversees MHC’s EveryHome program, which builds bridges between affordable housing and utilities. Register here. |
| Oct. 15-21, 2025 |
UofL Sustainability Week - Oct. 15-21, 2025
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| Oct. 15, 2025 |
18th Annual Campus Sustainability Day Fair Wednesday, Oct. 15th, 10am-2pm, Humanities Quad  Stop by the Humanities Quad for the 18th annual celebration of all things sustainable at UofL and in our community! Learn what campus and community groups are doing to create a sustainable revolution. Sign-up to get involved and leave with some green freebies, great information, and a smile on your face!
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| Oct. 15, 2025 |
Green Drinks featuring UofL’s Center for Transportation Innovation Wednesday, Oct. 15th, 6pm, Locals Food Hub & Pizza Pub (822 E Broadway) The Louisville Sustainability Council’s Green Drinks is a casual monthly meet-up of community members and organizations, featuring different speakers from across the city to educate and inform the community on local happenings, projects, and initiatives. Each presentation is followed by Q&A, discussion, and networking. The October 15th Green Drinks will feature guests from UofL’s Center for Transportation Innovation at the J.B. Speed School of Engineering. Come learn more about the Center's work as a focal point for innovative research on transportation-related issues that are of common interest to Louisville, Kentucky, and federal transportation agencies and authorities. The CTI performs innovative and applied research in the following areas: traffic operations and safety, transportation policy and decision making, transportation planning, intelligent transportation systems, smart city, connected and automated vehicles, and transportation-induced air pollution. Green Drinks takes place on the third Wednesday of every other month at 6pm at rotating venues around town. Learn more here. This is a UofL Sustainability Week event! |
| Oct. 16, 2025 |
Victory Gardening Then and Now Thursday, Oct. 16th, noon, Garden Commons (at Baptist Center) Join us in UofL's organic, student-managed garden to learn how home gardens played a role in defeating global fascism and how we can harness that power again to undermine autocracy and re-democratize our food system. While the original context was wartime food shortages and supporting troops, modern victory gardens are driven by sustainability, health, and a desire for self-reliance. Today's gardens focus on reducing carbon footprints, promoting organic practices, and fostering stronger local economies. This is part of our fall series of Garden Workshops. The Garden Commons is 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! Connect with us and get all the details on Facebook or Instagram. Facebook Event. This is a UofL Sustainability Week event! |
| Oct. 16-18, 2025 |
Ohio River Basin Confluence October 16-18, 2025 at the Kentucky International Convention Center For the first time, the Ohio River Basin Alliance, Kentucky Waterways Alliance, and the Ohio River Way are holding a special joint summit in place of their individual annual conferences. This event is hosted in conjunction with the University of Louisville Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, and Thomas More University. The Ohio River Basin Confluence Summit will take place October 16-18, 2025, at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville. We are excited to bring together advocates, professionals, and water leaders of all kinds to learn, plan, and build a diverse identity across our important river basin. This unique and collaborative effort is an opportunity to learn more about our partners and is representative of the momentum in the basin. Join us for memorable field trips, keynote speakers, breakout discussions, and networking with other Ohio River enthusiasts! The summit will bring together academics, government officials, non-profits, NGOs, and the general public to promote celebration, protection, and restoration of the Ohio River Basin. Learn more and register here. This is a UofL Sustainability Week event! |
| Oct. 16-17, 2025 |
Author Event: Motown and the Making of Working Class Revolutionaries Thursday, Oct. 16th, 6-8pm, Carl Braden Center (3208 W Broadway) Friday, Oct. 17th, 10-11am, Ekstrom Library, Room 259 Join UofL's Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research at one of these two events with authors Jerome Scott and Dr. Walda Fish-Katzman for their new book “Motown and The Making of Working-Class Revolutionaries: The Story of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers.” Join us for a discussion of the book’s oral history work, the League’s historic impact, and a book signing by the authors. For the first time, we get to hear directly from the workers themselves through oral history, exploring their Southern roots, powerful campaigns, and commitment to becoming "working-class intellectuals." Through hearing about the history of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers and engaging in political discussion with Jerome and Walda, we will apply these lessons to today's struggle. The October 17th event at the ABI offices will feature coffee and pastries. This is a UofL Sustainability Week event! |
| Oct. 17, 2025 |
Walk to Old Louisville Coffee Co-op Friday, Oct. 17th, 4pm, Meetup outside Jimmy John's at 4th & Cardinal Join us for a car-free afternoon coffee run as part of UofL Sustainability Week and enjoy a free beverage on us! Meetup at 4pm outside the Jimmy John's at 4th & Cardinal for a 1-mile walk with the UofL Sustainability Council to the Old Louisville Coffee Co-op at 316 W Ormsby Ave. Old Louisville coffee Co-op is a queer- and worker-owned business that wants to work with other queer and black-owned operations and keep things as local as possible. This coffee shop and its co-owners (the whole staff) carry a fundamental commitment to building up the Old Louisville neighborhood, a fierce dedication to diversity and inclusion, and a deep sense of responsibility to the environment. As soon as you walk through the doors of the Old Louisville Coffee Co-Op you can feel the sense of community, love, and of course — delicious coffee. Located in the heart of Old Louisville and just around the way from the University of Louisville, this coffee shop offers tasty treats, comfy seats, and coffee that’ll make your day. Enjoy the sweet taste of worker justice without a hint of air pollution! Facebook Event. This is a UofL Sustainability Week event! |
| Oct. 17, 2025 |
“Climate Change is Spooky” Trivia Night Friday, Oct. 17th, 7-9pm, Belknap Village South 103 The Student Sustainability Coalition invites you to a fun-filled evening of trivia, costumes, prizes, food, and more! Teams can compete for hauntingly good prizes! There will be a costume contest and six rounds of trivia on Louisville, Halloween, and Sustainability. Trivia starts at 7pm. The SSC is also partnering with the UofL Free Store to collect costume donations, so please bring any costume pieces you would like to donate! Tickets are $5 and available for pre-order, just Venmo @theUofLSSC. Tickets can also be purchased with cash, card, or Venmo at the door. Please reach out to Mo Early (mrearl03@louisville.edu) with questions and concerns. This is a zero-waste event. This is a UofL Sustainability Week event! |
| Oct. 18, 2025 |
Fairmount Falls Morning Hike Saturday, October 18th, 9-11am, Louisville, $5 per person. Join Campus Recreation for a hike to enjoy Louisville’s own 40 foot woodland waterfall. This short half-mile hike is filled with diverse plant life including ferns, wildflowers, mosses, shrubs, and native trees. We may also experience an abundance of wildlife with opportunities to see deer, turkey, upland birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Registration required. This is a UofL Sustainability Week event! |
| Oct. 18, 2025 |
Tree Planting at Shelby Academy & Preston Park Saturday, October 18th, 10am-noon, Meetup at Shelby Academy (735 Ziegler St.) UofL's Sustainability Council invites the campus community to volunteer for a community tree planting, just one mile northeast of the SAC. This service project is organized by TreesLouisville as a part of Tree Week 2025 and it will be their first tree planting of the planting season. Together we will install over 30 new trees around Shelby Academy and Preston Park including mulching, staking, and watering. In addition we will help our previously planted trees thrive by adding mulch around their base. No experience necessary. Please make sure to wear clothes that can get dirty and closed toed shoes. Bring a full water bottle and protection from the elements. All else will be provided by TreesLouisville. Please register here. This is a UofL Sustainability Week event! |
| Every Sunday |
UofL Community Composting Volunteer Days Every Sunday, Noon-2pm (  Add to your Calendar)250 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. |
| Aug. 18 - Nov. 24, 2025 |
Fall Garden Gatherings 2025 Mondays, 3pm at the Urban & Public Affairs Garden (426 W. Bloom St., behind Bettie Johnson Hall)Thursdays, noon at the Garden Commons (northeast of the Baptist Center) 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 fall (Aug. 18 - Nov. 24) to harvest, weed, water & plant. 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. Facebook Event. |
| Oct. 20, 2025 |
Scary Sustainability Movie Night & Trick-or-Treat Bag Making Monday, Oct. 20th, 7pm, Humanities 300 The UofL Sustainability Council invites you to relax and explore the scary side of sustainability as we watch a thought-provoking film together, enjoy snacks, and do some crafting! We'll be transforming old t-shirts from the UofL Free Store into Trick-or-Treat bags! Facebook Event. This is a UofL Sustainability Week event! |
| Oct. 21, 2025 | UofL Free Store Grand Opening! Tuesday, Oct. 21st, 12:30pm, Honors House 108 Join us for a homemade ribbon-cutting and refreshments as we celebrate the Grand Opening of the UofL Free Store in its newly renovated, larger (272 square feet), more accessible space at the rear of the Honors House room 108 (just steps away from Belknap Village South and the base of the SAC Ramp). We'll be thanking everyone who made this move possible and reflecting on the incredible legacy of this student-run space for the free exchange of useful stuff! The UofL Free Store was launched in August 2013 by students from a former RSO called Group Recycling And Sustainable Solutions (GRASS), with the support of the UofL Sustainability Council. Thanks to countless volunteers and supporters, the Free Store's scale, impact, and visibility has grown considerably over the years, from it's humble beginnings in a small, hard-to-find interior storage room in basement of Unitas Hall. Facebook Event. This is a UofL Sustainability Week event! |
| Oct. 22, 2025 |
Zero Waste Pumpkin Carving! Wednesday, Oct. 22nd, 6-8pm, Garden Commons at the Baptist Center Join UofL EcoReps in UofL's organic Garden Commons for a fun pumpkin carving event focused on using the whole pumpkin! As you carve, you'll learn about how to use all parts of the pumpkin and how to compost everything when you're done in order to grow new pumpkins for next year! We’ll have candy, costumes, and lots of spooky vibes! Pumpkins are first come, first serve! Facebook Event. |
| Oct. 23, 2025 |
The CLIMBS Extreme Precipitation Instrumentation and Field Project Thursday, Oct. 23rd, 2:30-3:45pm, BAB 218 Join us for the Fall 2025 Geographic and Environmental Sciences Seminar Series! Our speaker on October 23rd will be UofL professor Scott Gunter. The CLIMBS (Climate Resilience through Multidisciplinary Big Data Learning, Prediction and Building Response Systems) Kentucky Climate Resilience program is an eight-institution collaboration including the University of Louisville, University of Kentucky, Western Kentucky University, Northern Kentucky University, Morehead State University, Eastern Kentucky University, Murray State University and Thomas More University, that addresses fundamental knowledge gaps in climate-related understanding. Scott Gunter is a collaborator on CLIMBS Project 1 to enhance our weather understanding by expanding infrastructure and detecting high-impact events while also facilitating novel research advancing our understanding of their variability, trends and the larger-scale atmospheric and climatic conditions that influence them. The project also systematizes the state’s climatic records, predict climate sensitivity and future trends, contribute to 21st-century warning networks for at-risk communities, and educate the next generation of atmospheric science students. |
| Oct. 31, 2025 |
EcoReps Lunch & Learn: Industrial Composting with Smith Creek Friday, Oct. 31st, noon, Center for Belonging, Access & Engagement (Belknap Village North room 176) OR Join Microsoft Teams Meeting Join us for our monthly EcoReps workshop featuring locals making a difference in sustainability and a free vegetarian lunch! Our guest on October 31st will be Laura Veldman, the Senior Sourcing Manager at Smith Creek in Borden, Indiana. Smith Creek manages the industrial-scale composting operation where all of the food scraps from UofL Dining end up. Come learn what they are doing to keep organics out of the landfill and turn a problem into "black gold!" 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. Facebook Event. |
| Nov. 13, 2025 |
Abolition Feminism and Anti-Racist Praxis Thursday, Nov. 13th, 6-7:30pm, Strickler Hall, Middleton Auditorium Join us for the 19th Annual Anne Braden Memorial Lecture, entitled “Abolition Feminism and Anti-Racist Praxis” featuring Dr. Beth Richie of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Richie’s extensive research examines how race and gender impact experiences of criminalization and justice, and she has long collaborated closely with communities, impacted individuals, and movements, including as a founding member of INCITE!: Women of Color Against Violence. She is Distinguished Professor of Criminology, Law, and Justice and of Black Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago, author of “Arrested Justice: Black Women, Violence, and America’s Prison Nation”; co-editor with teachers from Stateville Prison of “The Long Term: Resisting Life Sentences, Working Toward Freedom”; and co-author with Angela Y. Davis, Gina Dent, and Erica Meiners of “Abolition. Feminism. Now.” Learn more and register here. |
| Nov. 14, 2025 |
Sustainability Roundtable: Campus Commuter Survey Friday, Nov. 14th, noon-1:30pm, Urban & Public Affairs room 123 (426 W Bloom St) Join UofL's Sustainability Roundtable for this vital conversation about research efforts into better understanding how the UofL community commutes to campus, why they make the choices they do, and what could be done to positively influence those choices. With the help of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment, the UofL Sustainability Council has been actively surveying the entire campus community about transportation choices since 2010. We'll share the methods and results of this survey work and discuss new directions for data analysis, data collection, and policy and program development based on these findings. Panelists will include: Dr. Justin Mog, Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives; Gary Becker, Director of Parking & Transportation; Dr. Henry Cunningham, Assistant Vice-President for Community Engagement; and Dr, Emily Spoden, Coordinator in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. |
| Nov. 15, 2025 |
Pop-Up Drop-Off Community Recycling Event Saturday, Nov. 15th, 10am-2pm, UofL Shelby Campus Pop-Up Drop-Offs are free recycling and large item disposal events for residents of Jefferson County.
Items must already be separated into categories for easy off-loading so as much can be recycled as possible.This event sponsored by: Department of Public Works and Assets and the Louisville/Jefferson County Waste Management District.More info. |
| Nov. 20, 2025 |
Holiday Wreath Making Workshop Thursday, Nov. 20th, noon, Garden Commons (next to Baptist Center) Join us in UofL's organic, student-managed garden to get in the holiday spirit! Come learn how to make your own beautiful wreath using a variety of plant materials from campus and herbs from our garden. It's easier than you might think, and you'll take home something beautiful, great smelling, and unique! This is the last in our fall series of Garden Workshops. The Garden Commons is 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! Connect with us and get all the details on Facebook or Instagram. Facebook Event. |
| Nov. 20, 2025 |
Population and Demographic Shifts in a Changing World Thursday, Nov. 20th, 2:30-3:45pm, BAB 218 Join us for the Fall 2025 Geographic and Environmental Sciences Seminar Series! Our speaker on November 20th will be Andrew Zimmer, a Geospatial Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Andrew is in the Human Geography group at Oak Ridge, where he contributes to the LandScan program, advancing high-resolution global population datasets. His research focuses on the intersections of human-environment geography, population dynamics, and urbanization. Before joining ORNL, he served as a Research Scientist at Montana State University, where he led assessments of urban demographic trends and population exposure to climate hazards. Andrew earned his Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Arizona, with a dissertation examining the interplay between climate variability, urban population change, and food security in African cities. He also holds an M.S. and a B.A. in Geography from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. At this seminar, he'll be discussing "Population and Demographic Shifts in a Changing World." |
| Nov. 20, 2025 |
Talon Talk
Thursday, Nov. 20th, 4pm, Humanities 101 The Engage Lead Serve Board (ELSB) Animal Welfare committee invites you to come engage with birds of prey, such as owls and falcons. We are partnering with Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky, who will be doing an hour-long presentation on different birds they have rescued. There will be ample time to ask questions and dive into conservation efforts in Kentucky! Note: Due to the nature of having live birds present, we ask that you please arrive by 3:55pm. RSVP on Engage.
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| Nov. 21, 2025 |
EcoReps Lunch & Learn: Louisville Climate Action Network Friday, Nov. 21st, noon, Center for Belonging, Access & Engagement (Belknap Village North room 176) OR Join Microsoft Teams Meeting Join us for our monthly EcoReps workshop featuring locals making a difference in sustainability and a free vegetarian lunch! Our guest on November 21st will be Sarah Lynn Cunningham, Executive Director of the Louisville Climate Action Network. LCAN is the go-to source for reliable, action-inspiring information on climate change, its impacts and its many solutions. They work collaboratively for a healthy climate, operating efficiently, on sustainable energy -- equitably distributed and used, utilizing strategies and tactics that are inclusive, democratic, equitable and resilient. 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. Facebook Event. |
| March 9-25, 2026 |
Great American Road Trip - Mount Rushmore and the Black Elk Wilderness March 9th-15th, 2026, Keystone, South Dakota, $120 per person. Join Campus Recreation for a multi-day road trip to Mount Rushmore National Monument and spend time hiking and camping in the Black Elk Wilderness. This trip involves primitive camping, hiking, and spectacular views of National Monuments. Registration required. |
| March 28, 2026 |
Mountain Biking Saturday, March 28th, 9am-3pm, Cherokee Park Join Campus Recreation and the UofL Sustainability Council on a morning bike ride to Cherokee Park and explore the mountain biking trails within the Park. Free and all equipment provided, but spots are limited. Registration required. |
| April 4, 2025 |
Three Bridges Trail Hike Saturday, April 4th, 9am-5pm, Olive Hill, KY, $20 per person. Join Campus Recreation for this Appalachian hike! At just over three miles in length, Three Bridges Trail in Carter Caves State Resort Park is a fantastic trail with beautiful, interesting rock formations. The route stops by three of the park's natural rock bridges: Smoky Bridge (the largest), the Raven Bridge, and the Fern Bridge. Registration required. |
Accepted Items:What did I miss?! Check out our Past Events log.
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