April is Earth Month at UW Tacoma!

Join us to celebrate Earth Month at UW Tacoma! In the last few years, sustainability efforts at UW Tacoma have exponentially grown. Sustainability at UW Tacoma encompasses many initiatives, departments, and individuals that work to create healthier and more resilient communities.  The UW Tacoma Sustainability Committee works to promote a culture of sustainability throughout campus, encompassing management, development, campus operations, and the University’s academic mission. 

We hope you will join us for some of these upcoming Earth Month events on campus:

• April 5 – Pot a Succulent – 11am-2pm, Gillenwater Plaza
• April 11 – Husky Sustainability Fund Idea Lab – 2-3:30pm, TPS 301
• April 13 – South Sound Sustainability Expo – 10am-3pm, Prairie Line Trail
• April 16 – Fix-It Fair – 3-5pm, SNO 170
• April 16 – Indigenous Sovereignty and the Boldt Decision: Seminar with Dr. Danica Miller — 12-1pm, Jane Russell Commons
• April 22 – Earth Day Celebration – 10am-3pm, MLG 110 and South Prairie Line Trail
• April 24 – Bookworms in the Giving Garden – 2:30-5:30pm, UWT Giving Garden

Here are some highlights of recent sustainability success at UW Tacoma:

Husky Sustainability Fund

In the first full operating year of the Husky Sustainability Fund, 22 student-focused sustainability projects were funded and completed including free reusable menstrual product kits in the Pantry, providing compostable and reusable cutlery for student-led events, solar panels for the Giving Garden greenhouse to ensure winter harvest, and much more! We hosted grant writing workshops every quarter and collaborated with 13 community and campus departments. The Husky Sustainability Fund is now in its second year and has funded 11 more projects.

Sustainability Leadership Certificate

A new program that launched in the winter quarter 2024 is the Sustainability Leadership Certificate (SLC). The SLC offers a non-academic certificate option that all students at UW Tacoma may choose to complete during their academic career. The SLC provides an opportunity for students to interact with and learn about sustainability and grow as sustainability leaders. We currently have 25 students completing the certificate. 

Giving Garden

The UW Tacoma Giving Garden, created by students, staff, and faculty in 2008, has grown to include an educational pavilion (the SHED), a greenhouse, garden beds, and an orchard, and is home to the campus’ first solar power system. This year, the garden continues to add to its infrastructure with added compost bins, tables and benches, and a kiwi trellis in the works. In 2023, the garden donated 406 pounds of produce to the UWT Pantry and a community shelter with volunteers who completed 351 hours of service in the garden.  

Sustainability Film Festival

Beginning in 2023, the Sustainability Committee assembled the first sustainability-related film festival in the South Sound. In March of this year, we partnered with the Ground to Sound Film Festival to engage in the story of our waterways and the impact we can make in our region. We sported over 250 filmmakers, educators, sustainability experts, community members, and families in attendance. With its continuing success, we plan to continue to grow this event and invite more local storytellers from our campus and surrounding communities.