April is Earth Month, and we have all sorts of ways for you to engage with and learn about sustainability on the UCLA campus and beyond!
Here are just a few ways to get involved with UCLA’s Earth Month activities:
You can also stay updated on sustainability activities across campus and beyond by subscribing to the UCLA Sustainability newsletter, reading our blog, checking our events calendar, and following @sustainucla, @zerowasteucla and @ucla on socials.
Join a campus sustainability tour led by one of our UCLA Sustainability Core Team staff.
Have you ever wondered about the sustainability secrets on campus? Check out the underground river, chilled water tank, and bike elevator on the UCLA campus.
Earth Month tours are now complete, but you may e-mail sustainability@ucla.edu to inquire about arranging a future campus sustainability tour for a group visiting UCLA.
Participate in a social media, self-guided scavenger hunt of sustainable places and practices.
Take a moment to head outside and visit sustainability sites and complete sustainable actions on campus for a chance to win!
All of April, participate by snapping a photo of yourself at the site, or completing a sustainable action, and posting on your story, tagging this account @sustainucla. The top 2 participants who complete the most submissions will receive a prize, and one winner will be drawn from the pool of all participants to also receive a prize. Winners will be announced on April 30th!
Sustainability sites and actions to complete this month:
– Solar Thermal System on the Hill – note – this one is tricky. Only visible from a tall vantage point with clear line of sight to the southwest, or Northwest side of the Hill. Counts for TWO posts/points
– Community Garden at Sunset Rec
– Tower gardens on the Hill
– Water refill station
– Solar microgrid – roof of Parking Structure 9
– Vertical art gallery in School of Public Health
– Bees – photo of bee on campus OR of you in front of the old Life Sciences Building. (the hives are on the roof)
– LEED Platinum buildings
– Waste sorting (correctly) / plastic-free action
– BruinBus (electric)
– Biking – you commuting on your bicycle OR a bicycle repair station
– Stormwater capture system sign on the side of Parking Structure 9
– Bike Escalator on Portola Stairs
– Drought-tolerant or native landscaping
– Reuzzi or other reusable mug/cup
Calculate Your Ecological Footprint
1. Access the Footprint Calculator by the Global Footprint Network.
2. Click Take the First Step.
3. Answer each question to get to your results. You can do a basic footprint, or if you would like to get more detailed you can answer the more detailed questions by clicking beneath the question to add details like more details on your diet or what types of energy you use.
4. Commit to one change that will reduce your footprint.
**FOR UCLA STAFF ONLY** – SURPLUS OFFICE SUPPLIES CLEANOUT AND REDISTRIBUTION
UCLA colleagues, get ahead on any end-of-school/fiscal-year cleanup before you might move offices, or just declutter and make sure that spare office items can be put to good use!
Do you have surplus office, event, and breakroom supplies? To celebrate Earth Month, join UCLA Sustainability for an office cleanout drive and share resources with other departments!
UCLA Sustainability is coordinating calls and matching for surplus supply needs and availability across University offices and departments, through the use of a Google Sheet where you can enter items that your team can spare or is looking for: writing supplies, boxes, decorations, etc.
Any items not claimed by another office or department will go to the UCLA Surplus Stop or be donated to local non-profits in need.
