AUC Earth Week Promotes Sustainability, Living Greener Lives
Sustainable living is the focus of AUC’s sixth annual Earth Week, which begins today. A weeklong event held to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, Earth Week aims to engage the University community in green initiatives on campus and in the local community.
“To be a sustainable campus, we can’t only support the infrastructure for green initiatives; we need help from everyone in the AUC community as well,” said Wendy Wei, presidential intern at the Office of Sustainability and head organizer of the event. “There are a lot of new green initiatives at AUC and in Cairo, and it's important to let everyone know not only why they should care about the environment, but also what the benefits are on the individual and community levels.”
Earth Week is hosted by the Office of Sustainability and the Research Institute for a Sustainable Environment (RISE). The activities, which will take place from April 17 to 22, include a sustainable foods workshop, art competition, nature walk, career panel and farmers' market. Following is a breakdown of the week's activities:
Weeklong
Cairo in Transit photo and essay competition
New to Earth Week this year, this competition takes an artistic approach to sustainability, focusing on how mobility and transit impact each of us in the AUC community.
Co-hosted with Uber Technologies and the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, the winning photos and essays will be chosen on Monday and will remain on display in Bartlett Plaza throughout the week.
Sunday, April 17
Food, Education and the Future, workshop by Pam Labib
Pam Labib, co-founder and educational director of Nafas School of Agroculinary Arts and Sciences, will lead a workshop on sustainable lifestyles and cooking. Here, participants will learn how education in Egypt relates to food sustainability.
Co-hosted with the Nafas School of Agroculinary Arts and Science, this workshop will take place in Abdul Latif Jameel Hall, Room CP02 from 1 to 2 pm.
Monday, April 18
“Art in Nature,” by Richard Hoath, senior instructor, Department of Rhetoric and Composition, who has has published extensively on Egypt’s wildlife
This lecture will examine some of Egypt's spectacular wildlife. Egypt’s nature will not only be illustrated through photographs, but also through Hoath's drawings and paintings from his notebooks, journals and finished plates accumulated after many years exploring Egypt.
This presentation will take place in the Campus Center, room P020 from 1 to 2 pm.
Tuesday, April 19
"Walk on the Wildside," by Richard Hoath
Richard Hoath will lead participants on a walk around the University campus to explore nature right outside our door. Hoath has published extensively on Egypt’s fauna in scientific journals and popular magazines and is also a monthly environmental columnist for Egypt’s leading English language magazine, Egypt Today. His latest book, A Field Guide to the Mammals of Egypt, went into its second edition in 2009.
Co-hosted with the Department of Rhetoric and Composition, the nature walk will start outside of the AUC Library at 10 am and will continue to 11 am.
Wednesday, April 20
Companies and professionals from a range of sustainability sectors will share their experiences and answer your career questions at this panel discussion. After the panel, there will be an opportunity for students to have one-on-one chats with the panelists.
Co-hosted with AUC's Career Center, this event will take place in the Campus Center, room P020 from 1 to 2 pm.
Thursday. April 21
Farmers’ Market
Vendors from AUC and the local community will sell sustainable products at the Earth Week Farmers’ Market in Bartlett Plaza throughout the day. Shoppers will find sustainable baked goods, coffee, honey and other homemade items.
