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�þ��� Sustainability Week is an opportunity for Elon students, faculty and staff to come together to examine sustainable habits and inspire positive sustainable change throughout the Elon community. It is also an opportunity to learn about and celebrate �þ���’s current sustainable practices. A variety of events will take place throughout the week.

Attend as many events as you can to win the �þ��� Sustainability Week competition. Prizes include Phoenix Cash, hammocks and more!  More Information can be found on the �þ��� Sustainability Week website.

Schedule of Events

(and required for some events!)

Tuesday, Oct. 15

12-1 p.m. | Tree Walk (Meet at Fonville Fountain in front of Alamance Building)

Join Elon’s arborists on a walk around Elon’s beautiful campus to learn about Elon’s trees, including the Tree Trail on campus, the arborist’s favorite trees and insider information on the maintenance and sustainability of the Elon urban forest.

7:30-8:30 p.m. | �þ��� Sustainability Week Keynote: Beyond “Wastelands”: Pigs, Pollution and a Community’s Fight for Justice (McKinnon Hall, Moseley Center)

Between 2013 and 2020, hundreds of residents of rural eastern North Carolina fought to hold the world’s largest pork producer, Smithfield Foods, accountable in court for longtime environmental harm to their air, their water, and their ancestral land. Attorney and author Corban Addison chronicles that story in his book “Wastelands,” recipient of the 2023 Reed Environmental Writing Award from the Southern Environmental Law Center.

“Wastelands” recounts the triumph of human courage and community persistence in the face of insurmountable odds, as well as an untold civil rights story that resonates with America’s current reckoning on race. It exposes the hidden side of agribusiness, the dangers of corporate capture in the state legislatures, the challenge of holding rich and powerful industries to account in the courts and the true cost of one of America’s favorite breakfast foods – bacon.

In this visually rich presentation, complete with video footage and animations from five federal trials, Addison will shine a light on the intersection of food, race and money as he takes his audience behind the scenes of a landmark war in the courtroom that brought a once invincible industry to its knees.

This event is sponsored by the Office of Sustainability, �þ��� School of Law, the Environmental Studies Department, the Kernodle Center for Civic Life and the Fund for Excellence in Arts and Sciences (a joint endeavor of the College of Arts and Sciences and Phi Beta Kappa).

Wednesday, Oct. 16

9-10 p.m. | S’mores with Outdoors (Beck Pool Patio)
Join Elon Outdoors and the Eco-Reps for a special �þ��� Sustainability Week S’mores with Outdoors!

Thursday, Oct. 17

2-4 p.m. – Build your own Birdhouse (Elon Community Garden) 

Come make milk carton bird houses or bird feeders at the community garden (bird seeds included!), make friends and learn about the bird species around the Elon community.

3-6 p.m. | Elon Farmers’ Market (Elon Community Church) 
Support local farmers, bakers, crafters and the local economy. Stop by the Office of Sustainability table to grab a reusable shopping bag to reduce your waste.

4-6 p.m. | Culturally Relevant Herbalism & Farming (Loy Farm EcoVillage)

Join Brandon Ruiz, urban farmer and Caribbean herbalist, for an immersive herbalism workshop from a culturally relevant perspective. Brandon will share his experience cultivating community through herbalism and invite the attendees to enter into a space of sharing and reciprocity centered around nature-based experiences. The workshop will include a hands-on herbalism component with each participant taking home a product made partially from produce grown at the Loy Farm.

5-6 p.m. | Pop Up Swap Shop (Moseley Center)
Looking to refresh your closet? Perfectly good clothing you no longer wear? Bring it to the Pop-Up Swap Shop to trade for new-to-you shirts, pants, dresses, and more!

6-7 p.m. | Sustainability Master Plan Feedback Session (Mosley Center, McKinnon Hall)

Your voice matters in shaping the future of sustainability at Elon! This interactive session is an opportunity to learn about and provide feedback on a draft of Elon’s next ten-year Sustainability Master Plan, set to launch in 2025. Light refreshments will be provided.

Friday, Oct. 18

2-5 p.m. | Mental Health Hike (Shallow Ford Natural Area – Transportation Provided)

Nature offers endless opportunities to improve your life! Hiking allows us to tap into multiple areas of well-being and engage our senses. Join the Office of Sustainability, Counseling Services and the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education for an inclusive hike to experience and explore the ways being in Nature can support your holistic wellness. Transportation will be provided. Registration is required.

4-6 p.m. | Bike to Burlington (Meet at Koury Athletic Center)

Join us for an exciting bike ride to downtown Burlington! Experience the joy of sustainable and affordable transportation, enjoy delicious Smitty’s ice cream, make new friendships, and discover the charm of local businesses. Join us for a fun-filled adventure!