Month-long 'Earthstock' begins April 2

"Earthstock: Four Weeks to Learn and Grow" is an event and a movement modeled after the iconic Woodstock Music and Arts Festival to engage UNL students and build an understanding in the local community about the urgency and feasibility of sustainability.
"Earthstock: Four Weeks to Learn and Grow" is an event and a movement modeled after the iconic Woodstock Music and Arts Festival to engage UNL students and build an understanding in the local community about the urgency and feasibility of sustainability.

One of the founding tenets of Earthstock is that everything we do can be sustainable; sustainability is not a list of extra things to do but a way to do them. With this in mind, ASUN is putting on a wide array of events to reflect a holistic understanding of our sustainability.

WEEK ONE

Carbon Footprint Interactive Display: To kick off ASUN's event, it is working with the organization Sustain UNL, which will be putting on an interactive display where students will take a simple carbon footprint test and a large collective graph will show their results. Six booths will provide relevant information, games and chances to win prizes.

Dates and times: April 2 and 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Greenspace in front of the Nebraska Union on City Campus.

UNL Unplugged: This ongoing three-week event will take place throughout April and will encourage energy conservation via competition between residence halls and Big Ten schools, with daily updates on per-capita energy usage and prizes for winning residence halls and engaged students. The event will also include a trivia night and scavenger hunt, along with pledges and energy saving tips.

WEEK TWO

Up-cycle "Pinterest Party": The Rotunda Gallery will be open for students to create art out of diverted waste materials, engaging students about the waste we create and encouraging them to think of these by-products as resources. The space will promote creativity and sharing, and the event will be paired with a strong social media presence.

Dates: April 7 to 11 in the Rotunda Gallery.

New Growth Green Business Expo: Businesses throughout our community are coming to understand the importance of sustainability and are beginning to embrace innovation and alternative practices. New Growth will showcase some of these businesses in a casual, outdoor atmosphere.

Date and time: April 9 from 3-5 p.m. on the Greenspace in front of the Nebraska Union on City Campus.

WEEK THREE

Bikefest: To promote biking as a safe, practical and economical form of transport, ASUN will host a space for bike repair and education in the center of campus. ASUN will also have a bike-powered smoothie machine to show how powerful bikes are.

Date and time: April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Nebraska Union Plaza.

Dirt! The Movie Screening: ASUN is partnering with UNL's on-campus independent theatre to show "Dirt!," a film that explores what makes up the earth we stand upon.

Date and time: April 17 at 7 p.m. at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center.

UNL Unplugged Scavenger Hunt: April 17 at 9 p.m.

WEEK FOUR

Reading: Julene Bair: Bair's the Ogallala Road details her family's fight to keep and care for their land in the Kansas countryside. As farmers pump water out of the Ogallala Aquifer, she must reconcile traditional ways with industrial realities.

Date and time: April 21 from 7-9 p.m. in the Unity Room in the Gaughan Center.

Policy For The Plains Political Forum: Although there are many things students can do to promote sustainability, it's undeniable that government plays a huge part in society's impact on the world. The forum will bring together Nebraska state senators and local policymakers to discuss the practices and policies in our state that effect our earth.

Date and time: April 22 from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Nebraska Union Auditorium.

Earthstock Block Party: The culmination of Earthstock events will be the block party (hosted on Earth Day) that will bring together organizations throughout campus to celebrate earth and the local community. ASUN will fill campus with educational booths and games, bringing together the whole student body to truly express that our future is in all of our hands.

Date: April 22 on the Greenspace in front of the Nebraska Union on City Campus.

For more info and updates, visit: https://www.facebook.com/GreenUNL and https://twitter.com/GreenUNL.

This event would not have been possible without our generous sponsors. These include the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the College of Architecture, Whole Foods, the Residence Hall Association, the College of Engineering, and Cleaner Greener Lincoln. We are proud to partner with these organizations who are making sustainability a priority.

More details at: https://www.facebook.com/GreenUNL