Events: Every Day is Earth Day

Mindfulness in the Museum is a day of self-directed mindful activities such as coloring, writing, and sketching in the galleries.  All supplies are provided, free and open to everyone. The event is presented in conjunction with LGBTQ+ Coming Out Day.

Drop in anytime between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Learn more here. 

Come to THC 310 on October 12, 7:00-8:00 p.m. to learn more about Apogee Adventures and their summer outdoor adventure programs for middle and high schoolers. Their primary goals are for students to experience a sense of community, increase their self-confidence, and foster their love for the outdoors.

Apogee Adventures is hiring! Working with Apogee means having a real impact on these students - not to mention spending your summer hiking, backpacking, bike touring, or working on meaningful community service projects in some of the most beautiful places in the world.

Applications are open for a variety of roles - both in the field as Trip Leaders and Support Staff as well as in the office as Assistant Directors - in locations throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Latin America in the summer of 2024. Learn more and register for the event.

Join OAR October 15th to 17th on an unforgettable adventure to Shenandoah National Park! Visit exciting locations like Dark Falls Hollow as we hike, kayak, and explore some of the parks most areas. Food, transportation, and supplies will be provided. This multiple overnight camping event is open to all experience and skill levels, no previous training required. Learn more and register. 

On October 26, 4:30-6:00 p.m.: Careers in think tanks, trade associations, lobbying, or government offices. What is the work like? What do they do? And how do you get an internship or job in one of these areas? Learn more and register. 

All Richmond Scholars, friends, peers, and pets are invited to enjoy the walk around Westhampton Lake on October 28, 11:00-11:45 a.m. in front of Tyler Hanes Commons.

November 6, 12:30-1:30 pm: Come watch A Sturgeon Story, an award-winning short film about the quest to track down the amazing giant leaping dinosaur fish in the James River. After the film, we’ll preview highlights of Ecochallenge and IE Week. Come learn about local environmental efforts and find out how to get involved on campus. Food from Sticks Kebob Shop will be provided!

November 10, 12:30-1:30 pm:

The Bonner Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) welcomes you to Perspectives, a lunchtime conversation series open to students, faculty, staff, and community members. This week, join us for Sustainable Cities, a conversation in which we’ll discuss local sustainability initiatives and the global challenges facing an increasingly urban population. The hour will feature an introduction by Andrew Tucker of the African Centre for Cities, and guest speakers Laura Thomas (Director, Richmond Office of Sustainability), Sheri Shannon (Co-founder, Southside ReLeaf), and Rob Jones (Executive Director, Groundwork RVA). Dr. Todd Lookingbill from UR’s Department of Geography, Sustainabiity, and Environment will moderate, and audience insights and questions are encouraged!

Each November, in recognition of International Education Week, the UR community "meets in another culture" here on campus. This year, we undertake a week-long summit with shared experiential learning on important local-global sustainability topics from various perspectives of Richmond partners and colleagues from around the world. Learn more and view the schedule of events.

Ecochallenge is a five-day-long event that educates and engages the community on ways to increase sustainable living habits. As a part of International Education Week, the Office for Sustainability hosts an Ecochallenge every November to provide different cultural and social contexts for various sustainability topics.

In order to compete, participants form teams, select environmentally-friendly actions to earn points, track their progress using the Ecochallenge platform, and win prizes for points earned. Daily actions consist of a mixture of in-person activities, digital educational materials, and interactive content, allowing participants to earn points in multiple ways. At the end of the week, the top three individual point winners, the top point-winning team, and the team with the highest number of points per capita all earn prizes. 

More information coming soon!

🌼 Reflect. Relax. Breathe. 

November 14, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | The Eco-Corridor 

Need some space to relax and unwind? Visit the Eco-Corridor anytime today from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for a self-guided meditative tour. Along the Eco-Corridor, you will find mindfulness stations that will have meditative activities such as prompts for slowing down, interacting with nature, and taking sensory breaks. Escape the hustle and bustle of your daily schedule for a moment of solitude or bring a friend to share the experience.

🌾 Find new ways to feed your stem-and-leaf addiction

November 14, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Heilman Dining Center

Stop by DHall to learn about ways to engage in sustainable food and planting! Visit our table to browse through our seed library, learn about local fruit and vegetables from farmers in our area, and find ways to engage with local nonprofits working with food security and sustainable growing!

🐟 You’ve seen the James River, but what if you could explore 13 days of it?

November 14, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. | The International Education Commons 

Join us for a screening of the award-winning documentary Headwaters Down at the International Commons! Learn about the James River, a wonderful resource right here in the backyard of Richmond, and hear from the filmmakers in a Q&A. Insomnia cookies will be provided.

Watch the trailer! 

🥦 Abundant landscapes are fueling nature and filling bellies

Wednesday, November 15, 1:30-2:30 p.m. | Eco-Corridor

Discover the lush environment of the Eco-Corridor that supports a variety of flora and fauna through it rich ecological composition. Learn more about Abby’s garden, and see what’s sprouting up in the fall growing season. There will be plenty of ways to get involved with the garden this year as a student, faculty or staff member - come find out how to get started!

🐦Birds, butterflies, beetles - OH MY!

Thursday, November 16, 4:00-5:00 p.m. | Eco-Corridor

Help us take inventory of diverse plant and animal species in our very own Eco-Corridor here on campus. Through this bioblitz, we hope to shed light on just how many creatures are living in this lush green landscape, and we’ll learn a few new names along the way. During the bioblitz, we will be using the app iNaturalist to record all discoveries. That way, we can start a community collection of identifications to be built upon by anyone who visits the area.

☀️ Feel the power of the sun right here on campus

November 17, 11:30 a.m - 12:30 p.m. | Weinstein Center for Recreation Roof

How does solar power play a role in powering our campus? Join us for a tour of UR’s solar power infrastructure on the roof of the Weinstein Center for Recreation at 11:30 am. Learn more from sustainability experts about what UR is doing to meet electricity needs through renewable energy sources and hear updates on our Climate Action Plan.

The University of Richmond is nationally recognized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) as a Center for Sustainability Across the Curriculum. This winter, the Office for Sustainability leadership will facilitate a one-day workshop open to faculty, staff, and administrators from other colleges and universities in Virginia and the region. The aim of the River City Project is to support the integration of sustainability across the curriculum by providing participants with a facilitated experience where they develop a shared understanding of sustainability, explore sustainability competencies and pedagogy, and enhance or develop their sustainability worldview.

Due to the unique nature of the workshop, which is free for participants to attend, not all who apply may be admitted into the program given capacity and logistical constraints.  It is our intention to accept as many applicants as possible. To learn more and apply, visit the Google Form.