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Celebrating Earth Day
April 22 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, a day to celebrate and inspire change to better protect our planet.
From gardening to music, research, documentaries and more, our students, staff and faculty showcase 14 ways to celebrate from anywhere in the world. Share how you’re celebrating Earth Day on social media by using #SFUEarthDayatHome.
Celebrate with a song
On this Earth Day 2020 I think back to attending Edward Abbey’s (an environmental advocate and novelist) Memorial Service at Slick Rock, Arches National Park, Arizona, May 20th, 1989. On that beautiful spring day I heard speaker Terry Tempest Williams, an American writer and conservationist say, “It just may be that the most radical act we can commit is to stay at home.” Why did she say this? Because when we stay at home, we are more likely to get to know our trees, birds, plants, and constellations. When we stay at home, we are more likely to plant gardens, cook fresh food and meet our neighbors. I believe Terry suggests staying at home is radical because it is often those who know their near environments who are the most effective at protecting them, at being the most staunch activists. I think of Terry’s quote when my daughters Eva and Antonia sing, “Stay Home” during COVID 19. I wish you all new discoveries at home, familiar comforts, and a deeper appreciation for the close environment around you. Happy Earth Day!
Naomi Krogman, Dean, Faculty of Environment
Celebrate online
Mark Jaccard answer your climate questions
Distinguished SFU Resource and Environmental Management professor Mark Jaccard share findings from his new book and tips on how climate-concerned citizens can overcome myths that hinder us from acting in time to prevent extreme climate impacts in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Want to hear more from Mark? View 90 minute presentation from Mark's book launch.
Watch a documentary
She Walks with Apes, a new documentary narrated by Sandra Oh, is the epic story of three women – Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and SFU Archaeology's Biruté Galdikas – who embarked on lifelong journeys to live with humanity’s closest living relatives, the Great Apes.
Join a webinar
It wasn’t that long ago that climate action was in the spotlight around the world. As of February 2020, a climate emergency had been declared by more than 1,330 governments worldwide. Youth, elders, Indigenous leaders, womens’ organizations, faith leaders and policy makers, among others, were building momentum and engaging new audiences for climate change. Join us for Learning from the Global Pandemic – A webinar for Climate Leaders.
Challenge yourself
Get Involved
Resource and Environmental Management professor Sean Markey and his daughter invite you to join the #GreenRecovery Campaign – a campaign that focuses on creating new jobs by de-carbonizing our economy and society.
Take action to reduce your carbon footprint
Tara Holland, a lecturer in the Department of Geography and the School of Environmental Science, challenged her class to take two actions to reduce their carbon footprint. Here's how they plan to help save our environment.
Get Outside
Build a garden bed
Garden beds are great for growing flowers, vegetables and herbs. Raised garden beds can drain soil more efficiently and help keep critters out.
This year, Donna Dove (Associate Director of Recruitment and Strategic Enrollment) and her family build a garden bed to celebrate Earth Day.
Grow your own food
Growing your own food is another great way to stay active, save money and eat healthy. Growing your own produce or buying from your local farmers also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions because your food doesn't need to travel as far.
Garden at home
To celebrate Earth Day, staff members Erica Anderson (Program and Finance Coordinator) and Sara Bucci (Academic Advisor) are both gardening at home. Erica is growing zinnias and building a backyard beehive while Sara completes a major clean up to get her backyard garden ready for spring.
Take a virtual tour
Visit the Heiltsuk territory on the Central Coast of BC
SFU Archaeology's Dana Lepofsky joined forces with the Heiltsuk Nation to create this amazing webiste that offes a glimpse into their landscapes, culture and traditions. From mountaintops to the ocean floor, this is where the Heiltsuk have lived for millennia.
Tour SFU's Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
The SFU museum of Archaeology and Ethnology collects, researches and exhibits artifacts from around the world with a focus on British Columbia.
See the world through Andrew Wright Conservation Photographer's lens
Professor and conservation photographer Andy Wright shares the story behind his wildlife photography shots.
Get inspired
Learn something new
Resource and Environmental Management Professor Anne Salomon shares videos from REM 495's capstone project. Learn about salmon habitat, urban agriculture, environmental education, ecosystem based management in the Strait of Georgia, urban biodiversity, forest fires, social media and trails and access to green space.
Read student projects
Tara Holland’s EVSC 300 class developed proposals for climate change adaptation projects in different sectors in BC. We share two proposals on rain gardens in Metro Vancouver and Adapting to Climate Change Risks in Pacific Rim National Park, BC.
Read how SFU is engaging a sustainable world
SFU ranks number one globally for its impact on sustainable cities and communities, and is among the world’s top 10 universities for its commitment to tackling climate change.
#SFUEarthDayatHome Submissions
A note from our former dean Ingrid Stefanovic
Having spent five years as Dean of the Faculty of Environment at SFU, I come to realize how the natural world deeply permeates the lives of Vancouverites and citizens of BC. The great fortune of living in a vibrant, urbane city that breathes a love of the sea and the grandeur of the mountains, remains so memorable.
Now back with family in Toronto, my husband and I have decided to try to keep nature close. So, we live downtown in the city’s core, but directly next to and overlooking Lake Ontario. (I share some photos as part of these reflections.) You will laugh to know that, as local cormorants dive below the water’s surface, I still find myself viscerally expecting a sea otter to appear! That remarkable experience of wildlife from BC is still etched in my mind.
As we celebrate Earth Week together across the country, and as we emerge from a most dramatic pandemic, hopefully we will grasp the opportunity to build a new, environmentally sustainable economic order that will be more caring of the world in which we live, and of each other. Happy Earth Week!
Read SFU's Strategic Sustainability Plan
Read SFU's Strategic Sustainability Plan which, given a global climate crisis, will mobilize the entire institution to embed climate action throughout its operations, research, academics and community engagement.