Sustainability

As this spring fully kicks into gear, we have an important update to share with our campus community. This year, Lawrence University will be transitioning from a No Mow May to a Slow Mow Summer. We have been active participants in No Mow May for some time, however, to increase our scope, we will be expanding into a Slow Mow Summer.

With these changes supported by recent alterations to legislation within the City of Appleton and the results of No Mow May from the past few years, we aim to be good neighbors to our community and local wildlife. High-traffic areas of campus will be maintained regularly. Other green spaces on campus will be maintained at a height approximately between 4 and 6 inches to maintain controlled habitats for pollinators.

If you have any questions, please contact Carter Robinson (carter.robinson@lawrence.edu).

Monday, April 21

Bring Your Own Mug
8-11 a.m. | outside Warch
Enjoy some free coffee or hot cocoa if you bring your own mug!

Rock and Chalk
6-7 p.m. | Main Hall Rock
Help us paint the rock and draw sidewalk chalk!

Greenfire Mending
8-9 p.m. | Elvira/Greenfire Loft (1st floor Colman)
Bring torn clothing or fabrics that need to be fixed. Needles and thread provided!

Tuesday, April 22

SLUG Meeting
6-7 p.m. | SLUG Garden
Come garden with SLUG and make seed bombs full of native seeds harvested from the area!

Deep Listening
7:15-8 p.m. | Trever Woods
Meet in front of Trever Hall for a deep listening walk with Dean Brian Pertl!

Wednesday, April 23

Dinner and Letters
6-8 p.m. | Elvira/Greenfire Loft (1st floor Colman)
Join Greenfire for an open dinner and letter writing about environmental issues to representatives with Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

Thursday, April 24

Fork Farms Tour
2-4:30 p.m. | Meet at Wriston Turnaround
Visit Fork Farms, a locally founded business, to learn about hydroponic farming and how it connects business, health, and sustainability! The bus will leave Wriston Turnaround at 2 p.m.

Battery Sorting
8-9 p.m. | Runkel Room (Warch 414)
Help the LU Sustainability Committee sort batteries and enjoy a viewing of The Lorax. Don’t forget to bring your own batteries!

Friday, April 25

Fork Farms Tour
2-4:30 p.m. | Meet at Wriston Turnaround
Visit Fork Farms, a locally founded business, to learn about hydroponic farming and how it connects business, health, and sustainability! The bus will leave Wriston Turnaround at 2 p.m.

Guest Speaker: Jason Wilhite
4:30-5:30 p.m. | Youngchild 121
A lecture about environmental advocacy and lobbying from the manager and former activism team lead at Patagonia Chicago.

Saturday, April 26

Nature Walk with LUPS
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | SLUG Garden
Take a walk outside while spotting native spring ephemerals and picking up trash to keep our campus clean.

Green Streets
1-2 p.m. | Meet at the LU Arch (corner of Drew St/College Ave)
Join Professor Jason Brozek on a walk around the city and explore the impacts of infrastructure on sustainable living.

Earthfest
2-4 p.m. | Kaeyes Mamaceqtawuk Plaza (next to the library)
Tabling from LU organizations and local nonprofits!

Sunday, April 21

• Earthfest | 1-4 p.m. | Kaeyes Mamaceqtawuk/Library Plaza
  This event is a tabling and network based event in celebration of community and coming together for Earth Day. Join us for our day of collective action, as well as delicious soup and music. This event is for celebrating the earth, appreciating each other and organizing, and fostering a great space to learn/try something new. We will be serving lunch for everyone (while supplies last) from Bon App catering when the event starts at 1 p.m. Student bands will be performing from 2-4 p.m. In the event of rain, festivities will move to Warch. 

Monday, April 22

• Science Hall Colloquium: Soil Microbe Communities | 4:30 p.m. | Steitz 102
  Forest and agricultural soils are home to vast quantities of soil microbe communities, yet we have only scratched the surface when it comes to understanding these systems. Dr. Relena Ribbons’ lab blends tools and approaches from forestry, ecology, biogeochemistry, and soil microbiology to investigate these communities. She will share insights from studies she and her research students have conducted across the region: Bjorklunden’s forest of cedars and maples along the shoreline of Lake Michigan; a network of sites in the woods of Peninsula and High Cliff State Parks; and here on the Lawrence campus, using soil microbiological markers to examine polyculture practices of co-planting tomatoes with marigolds.
• Paint the Wall | 5 p.m. | The wall on Lawe Street (near SLUG Gardens)
  Come help us paint a mural on the wall in celebration of Earth Day!
• SLUG Gardening Session and S’mores | 6-8 p.m. | SLUG Gardens
  Join SLUG for an Earth Day gardening session, followed by a campfire and s’mores! Attendants will be entered into a raffle to win jars of honey produced by our own SLUG bees.

Tuesday, April 23

• Rechargeable Battery Giveaway | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Warch Campus Center
  Introducing Lawrence University’s annual sustainability giveaway. This year we will be giving out rechargeable batteries & charging stations to the student body. If you would like a set of your very own, please fill out the form at the Earthfest tabling event on Sunday, April 21.

Wednesday, April 24

• Erin Brockovich Showing | 7 p.m. | Warch Cinema
• Food Recovery Network | 7:30 p.m. | Warch 414 – Runkel Room
  This is a food safety training session so students will be able to volunteer at the food recovery session.

Thursday, April 25

• Food Inc. Showing | 7 p.m. | Warch Cinema
  Food Inc. (2008) is a documentary that explores corporate farming in the United States.

Friday, April 26

• Bike Lane Walking Tour with Professor Brozek | 4:30-5:30 p.m. | Meet at the Arch
  Professor Brozek has been integral to the institution of the bike lanes here in Appleton. Join him on a walking tour where he teaches about an infrastructurally oriented model of sustainability and how anyone can make an infrastructural impact at the local level!

Saturday, April 27

• Sustainability/CCE Appleton Trash Pickup | Depart 11 a.m.-1 p.m. & Return 3-5 p.m.
  In Collaboration with the Center for Community Engagement, LUCC Sustainability committee is organizing shuttles to nearby Appleton parks in which students, staff, and faculty can clean up areas that aren’t maintained as well as campus. Join us to volunteer!
• Invasive Species Pull | 12-2 p.m. | Start in front of Hiett
  Come help restore native ecosystems! Join the Sustainability Committee and learn how to identify and remove invasive species including Garlic Mustard and Burdock. We will start in front of Hiett Hall at 12 p.m. and continue by the access road to SLUG. Afterward, there will be a drawing to win a pesto made from the Garlic Mustard harvested!

Thursday, May 2 | 12:30-5:30 p.m.
Warch 324 – Somerset Room

Sustainable Lawrence is thrilled to partner with the New North ESG Planning Committee to host an interactive summit dedicated to exploring the transformative power of sustainability and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices in business. This summit aims to catalyze conversations, share insights, and inspire action toward a more sustainable future.

Lawrence University students are invited to attend the Summit at no cost! Students are also invited to attend a special luncheon with the Summit’s guest speakers and featured panelists (11 a.m.-Noon). Seating for the luncheon will be limited!

Interested Faculty and Staff can register using the New North event page. Scroll down beneath the schedule for registration details.

Please don’t hesitate to contact Carter Robinson (carter.robinson@lawrence.edu) with any questions.

Summit Agenda

12:30 – 1 p.m. | Registration Check In & Networking

1 – 1:15 p.m. | Welcome
Kick off the summit with a warm welcome and introduction to our esteemed partners and the purpose of our gathering.

1:15 – 1:45 | The Business Imperative of Sustainability & ESG
Delve into the essential concepts of sustainability and ESG with compelling storytelling examples curated by the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council. Understand the key trends, emerging regulations, and the undeniable business case for integrating sustainability into organizational strategies.

​1:45 – 2:30 | How Wisconsin Companies Are Leveraging Sustainability
Discover firsthand how Wisconsin companies, both large and small, are leveraging sustainability to drive innovation and enhance their business practices. Dive into insightful case studies from industry leaders; US Venture, Plexus, Faith Technologies and Menominee Tribal Enterprises (MTE).

​2:45 – 3:45 | Panel Conversations: Diving into Topics of Interest
Engage in dynamic panel discussions covering various topics of interest related to sustainability and ESG. Explore sustainability program basics, data-driven sustainability strategies, energy and greenhouse gas management, workforce implications, and more.

​4:05 – 4:45 | Networking Breakouts as Roundtables
Participate in roundtable discussions facilitated by volunteer conversation leaders. Delve deeper into topics such as operationalizing sustainability, navigating ESG pressures, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in ESG, federal programs and funding opportunities, and engagement with students on careers in ESG.

​4:45 – 5:30 pm. | General Networking & Happy Hour

Monday, Oct. 23 & Tuesday, Oct. 24
12-1:30 p.m.
Warch Campus Center Lobby

The Sustainability Committee and LU Thrift Store will be tabling with donation boxes for single socks. The socks will be donated to a program that is recycling them and turning them into yarn. We will be giving out incentives for people who do donate their socks.

Saturday, April 22 | 1-4 p.m.
Library Plaza

Celebrate Earth Day with live music from Porky’s Groove Machine and student bands, along with booths from campus and community organizations!

If you’re interested in hosting a booth for your department or student org, please email Matthew Pavlik (pavlikm@lawrence.edu).