News

UConn Gives 2025

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UConn Gives, the annual 36-hour fundraising event at UConn, will be taking place on April 21 and 22. Every year, the UConn community rallies to support many different causes on campus, including our own Campus Sustainability Fund and the UConn@COP Fund!  

The Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) finances programs and initiatives that support students and advance UConn’s position as a global leader in university sustainability. Contributions to the CSF provide critical funding of transformative learning experiences for students including hands-on professional development through internships and research projects that nurture our natural environments, improve health and wellbeing, and enhance environmental justice in the communities which we serve. The CSF also funds our experiential learning events such as the Haunted HEEP, the UConn-famous annual haunted trail walk at the Hillside Environmental Education Park.  

The UConn@COP Fund supports the UConn@COP Fellowship program, helping the OS send a cohort of students each year to the annual United Nations Conference of the Parties. Through UConn@COP, students have participated in panels at international press conferences, networked with global environmental leaders, and heard from and interacted with international delegates and core members of international environmental justice movements. UConn@COP is an incredible, transformative experience for fellows, and it would not be possible without the support of generous donors! 

Every donation, big or small, means so much! You can donate at https://s.uconn.edu/uconngives25. Thank you to everyone for supporting sustainability achievements and the environmental leaders of tomorrow! 

Earth Day Spring Fling 2025

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Earth Day Spring Fling – 2025Earth Day Spring Fling 2025 logo

Wednesday, April 16

11:00 AM-2:00 PM on Fairfield Way

Rain date: April 21

Earth Day Spring Fling is an annual celebration of sustainability co-sponsored by UConn’s Office of Sustainability and the Department of Dining Services. Established in 2008, the festival features vendors of sustainable and hand-crafted goods, organic and local foods, environmental organizations, and student groups that join together to produce the greatest day of environmental awareness all year! Coinciding with the event is UConn’s annual Arbor Day celebration and ceremonial “class tree” planting.

Event Highlights:

  • Zero Waste BBQ: Dining Services is catering an outdoor, zero-waste BBQ featuring vegan, vegetarian and sustainable food options sourced locally. Note – the BBQ requires a flex pass, community meal plan swipe or $12 credit/debit card.
  • Eco Theme Cupcakes
  • Dairy Bar Truck
  • 12-1p  Goat Yoga: Outdoor yoga with the goats of Bradley Mountain Farm. Bring your own mat. Sign Ups will be announced on the OS instagram.
  • Party Peddler Bike: Hop on the 10 person bike for a tour of sustainability along Fairfield Way.
  • 2028 Class Tree Planting: As a certified Tree Campus, we celebrate each class with their own tree. This year’s tree, selected by the Freshman class, is the Green Gable Tupelo. The ceremony will be held at 1pm outside of the Budds Building on Fairfield Way.
  • UConn Thrift Den: The Thrift Den will highlight some of their free clothes!
  • Eco-Vendors: Meet with student and community organizations dedicated to sustainability, as well as eco-minded businesses along Fairfield Way.

 

For more information, please email sustainability@uconn.edu.

Thank you to Casella and UConn Student Government for support!

Locally sourced barbeque items on offer at earth day spring fling 2025

Environmental and Social Sustainability Grant Applications OPEN

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Are you a UConn student with an idea that can push environmental and social sustainability forward at UConn and in Connecticut? Then apply for our Environmental and Social Sustainability Small Grants!

Projects must advance strategic sustainability goal areas AND related social challenges.

Deadline is April 7, 2025 at 11:59pm.

Winners will be selected by May 1, 2025.

Grant amounts may be up to $10k.

All projects must have a faculty or staff member acting as a mentor, and must have the ability to accept funds on behalf of your project.

Projects must be completed by the end of December 2025.

For all the details, deadlines and materials visit the grant info page.

Environmental and social sustainability grants logo

Don’t Mess With Mansfield – Community Cleanup Day April 27, 2025

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Apr 2025 Don't Mess With Mansfield community clean up day weekend of april 26-27

 

The Town of Mansfield and UConn are pleased to team up against litter in our town. Join in to meet others in the Mansfield community and do good for our people and planet.

 

UConn & Vicinity Town Wide
Date & Time: Sunday, April 27

Cleanup Check In Stations will be open Noon to 4pm

 Saturday, April 26

Supplies can be picked up from 9am to noon at the Mansfield Community Center during the Earth Day Celebration.
Where: Volunteer to clean up in the core of campus, Hunting Lodge Rd, Separatist Rd, North Eagleville Rd, or Eastwood/Westwood Rds.

Check In Station Map

Litter pickup supplies will be provided at check in stations.

 Anywhere you feel safe collecting roadside litter in your neighborhood. Roads that are especially littered include Pleasant Valley, Mansfield City, White Oak and Gurleyville. Consider making a commitment to pick up litter on a section of road throughout the year by joining Adopt A Road.
What To Do With Full Trash/Recycling Bags: Bring your litter bag to your Check In station once you are finished. UConn Facilities trucks will be making rounds to pick up bags from the stations. Bags of litter may be placed out with household trash for those with collection service or taken to the Mansfield Transfer Station for no charge. The Transfer Station is located on Rte 89, one mile from the intersection of Routes 195 and 89 in Mansfield Center at 221 Warrenville Rd. The Transfer Station is open Tuesdays, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, Thursdays, 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm and Saturdays, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.

 

Litter is an unsightly blight on our roadways, and hurts the environment. It can be especially dangerous for wildlife. Small animals may crawl into bottles and get stuck, and litter can blow into storm drains and streams and may eventually make its way to the ocean. When litter gets eaten by animals and sea life, they can starve to death or suffocate. Litter also attracts pests. Be part of the solution, not the pollution!

 

 

UConn Office of Sustainability        UConn Center for Fraternity and Sorority Development logo    mansfield CT logo

Green Careers: Engage & Explore – Upcoming Event

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On Tuesday, February 25th, from 3 to 7 pm in the McHugh lobby/room 102, join the Office of Sustainability and the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills for the Green Careers: Engage & Explore (GCEE) event!

As an international leader in sustainability, UConn takes pride in pursuing excellence in environmental performance and consistently strives to be a center of learning for the next generation of environmental leaders. The GCEE event is an opportunity for students to see how their interests align with sustainability and environmental career paths. The event will kick off with an engagement fair featuring both employers with green career opportunities and student organizations – it is a chance for you as a student to speak with fellow passionate students and learn more about how you can get involved on campus, as well as learn about career opportunities in general, from various incredible companies in different career fields! (Note: resumes are not expected, nor will they be accepted.)

Following the engagement fair, an insightful discussion on the many green careers will be held during two, 45-minute panel events, along with an opportunity to network with our panelists. Past panelists have ranged from Pratt & Whitney engineers to leaders on the environmental justice front. Stay tuned for more information about the panelists!

Get ready for some career exploration and information through the Green Careers: Engage and Explore event on the 25th! Pre-registration is appreciated but not required: RSVP here!

 

Schedule:

Engagement Fair: 3-5pm, McHugh Lobby

Industry Panel: 5-5:45pm, McHugh 102

Networking Break (with pizza!): 5:45-6:15pm, McHugh Lobby

Alumni Panel: 6:15-7pm

 

Students of all majors are encouraged to attend. Green careers are not limited to environmental majors! We want to show you how so many majors can be related to a green career.

Why? The Earth is facing an imminent crisis: climate change. We will need all hands on deck to make progress in our goals as a global community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save our planet. We at the OS want to show YOU, all the students here at UConn, that ‘green’ does not have to mean strictly environmental science. Our panelists include engineers, businesspeople, and more – sustainability initiatives can be incorporated into any job! There is a place for all of you in the fight for sustainability and environmental justice; you all have a role to play, big or small.

Nominations Open – UConn Environmental Leadership Awards

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Environmental Leadership Awards: 2023 to 2024

The UConn Office of Sustainability is requesting nominations for Environmental Leadership Awards (ELAs).

The ELAs are a means of recognizing individuals or groups who have worked alone or as part of organizations to support sustainability efforts at UConn or beyond. Nominations can be submitted by faculty members, staff members, students, or external partners, and are evaluated by a committee appointed by the Office of Sustainability and Institute of the Environment.

The period of activity that forms the basis of nominations must be restricted to 2023 to 2024

Nominations must meet at least one of seven criteria areas:

  1. Performance
  2. Responsible Management and Growth
  3. Outreach
  4. Academics
  5. Conservation
  6. Teamwork
  7. Environmental Justice

More information about these criteria can be found on our ELA webpage.

Recipients of the ELAs are honored at an award ceremony commemorating their achievement on Tuesday, April 22.

Submit A Nomination Form

Deadline: February 28 at 11:59 PM

If you know a champion for the environment, recognize their efforts! Accepting nominations for:

  • Undergrad
  • Grad
  • Faculty
  • Staff
  • External Partners
  • UConn groups/teams/organizations

Don’t Mess With Mansfield – Community Cleanup Day November 16, 2024

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Mansfield Cleanup day on november 16

 

The Town of Mansfield and UConn are pleased to team up against litter in our town. Join in to meet others in the Mansfield community and do good for our people and planet.

Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024

UConn & Vicinity Town Wide
Time: Cleanup Check In Stations will be open Noon to 4pm At your leisure
Where: Volunteer to clean up in the core of campus, Hunting Lodge Rd, Separatist Rd, Hillyndale Rd, North Eagleville Rd, or Eastwood/Westwood Rds.

Check In station locations are on this map.

Litter pickup supplies will be provided at check in stations.

 Anywhere you feel safe collecting roadside litter in your neighborhood. Roads that are especially littered include Pleasant Valley, Mansfield City, White Oak and Gurleyville. Consider making a commitment to pick up litter on a section of road throughout the year by joining Adopt A Road.
What To Do With Full Trash/Recycling Bags: Bring your litter bag to your Check In station once you are finished. UConn Facilities trucks will be making rounds to pick up bags from the stations. Bags of litter may be placed out with household trash for those with collection service or taken to the Mansfield Transfer Station for no charge. The Transfer Station is located on Rte 89, one mile from the intersection of Routes 195 and 89 in Mansfield Center at 221 Warrenville Rd. The Transfer Station is open Tuesdays, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, Thursdays, 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm and Saturdays, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.

 

Litter is an unsightly blight on our roadways, and hurts the environment. It can be especially dangerous for wildlife. Small animals may crawl into bottles and get stuck, and litter can blow into storm drains and streams and may eventually make its way to the ocean. When litter gets eaten by animals and sea life, they can starve to death or suffocate. Litter also attracts pests. Be part of the solution, not the pollution!

An additional clean up day will be scheduled for April 2025.

Haunted HEEP is October 23, 2024

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The highly anticipated UConn Halloween event of the year, Haunted HEEP, will be Wednesday, October 23 from 7p-9:30p. Rain date is Thursday, October 24.

Haunted HEEP is a free, one mile scary hike through Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP). The HEEP is a remediated landfill area and natural forest reserve on the UConn-Storrs campus, behind the Innovation Partnership Building. The Office of Sustainability hosts the event to introduce guests to one of the closest trails to campus in the hopes they visit on their own in the future.

Everyone is welcome to attend but you MUST fill out this waiver.

Check in at the HEEP Trailhead Parking Lot between 7pm-9:30pm. T-shirts will be given to the first 100 students to survive the Haunted HEEP!

Heep parking map

Haunted HEEP Volunteer Groups Needed

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Be Part of UConn’s Award Winning Halloween Event

Every year, the Office of Sustainability hosts a haunted trail walk at the Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP), which is located behind the Innovation Partnership Building. This year, the Haunted HEEP will be held on Wednesday October 23rd. We are looking for volunteers from clubs, organizations and UConn departments to lead different scare stations along the trail. This is a great opportunity to have fun with your friends, get service hours, and promote your organization! Last year, over 700 students attended this event, and we are anticipating breaking 1,000 this year! Any group that sponsors a station will have their logo featured on all promotional materials and correspondence!

Each group will invent or be assigned a scare station (some example scenes from the past are IT Clown, exorcism, forest ritual, and haunted circus). Your group must show up at 5:30 p.m. on October 23rd, but you can set up your scene earlier if needed. Please have 2-15 people in your group. Dinner is provided, as is a limited edition Haunted HEEP t-shirt.

We also ask that at least one representative from each club attend one of our trail walkthrough dates so that they understand the set up of the trail and how the event will work. These dates are Saturday October 19, 12-1 p.m. OR Tuesday October 22, 3-4 p.m. Please indicate on the form for which of these dates you will have a representative from your club participating in the trail walkthrough.

The rain date for Haunted HEEP is Thursday October 24th. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions! We have up to 25 potential stations, so this is on a first-come, first-serve basis! We’d love to see your club at one of UConn’s scariest and most well-attended events.

THE DETAILS

  • Wednesday Oct. 23 (rain date Oct. 24)
  • Volunteer from 5:30pm to 10pm
  • AND a representative from your group must do a trail walk through on Saturday October 19 12-1 p.m. OR Tuesday October 22 3-4 p.m.
  • Free dinner and limited edition Haunted HEEP t shirt

SIGN UP HERE