Yale Daily News

Offering events from tree plantings to guest talks, Yale’s Office of Sustainability is hosting its weeklong “Celebrate Sustainability” program this week.

The week is comprised of a series of sustainability-related events across campus. Hosted by different individuals, departments and groups throughout the Yale community, these events are meant to engage the campus and raise awareness, according to the Office of Sustainability’s website. Marking the sixth year of “Celebrate Sustainability,” this year’s theme is “Healthy Yale, Healthy Planet.” The theme was selected by members of the Office of Sustainability, who use the Yale Sustainability Plan 2025 to guide them in the right direction, according to Emma Smith, the primary coordinator of the week’s events.

“In general, we try to select a theme that might make a strong connection with many different members of the Yale community,” said Smith. “This year’s theme is Healthy Yale, Healthy Planet, so we are aiming to make the connection between people’s health and the broader topic of sustainability.”

To plan events for the week, the Office of Sustainability reaches out to individuals, departments, staff, faculty and other groups that might be interested in hosting. The events range from talks to tree plantings and take place throughout the day.

For example, the School of Management is hosting a Sustainability and Wellness Bazaar on Thursday afternoon to showcase groups from the Yale and New Haven communities working at the “intersection of health or wellness and sustainability,” according to the SOM’s website.

Additionally, the Yale Surgery Sustainability Team is hosting a Good Nutrition and Food Sustainability talk on Friday afternoon. Ellen Liskov, a physician and dietician at Yale New Haven Hospital, will be speaking about creating healthy diets with sustainable food sources.

Some events are also happening continuously throughout the week, such as the Yale Library Staff Association’s Book Swap, which is taking place at multiple libraries across Yale. Individuals are encouraged to bring in books to trade, and any books remaining at the end of the week will be donated to the New Haven Reads Community Book Bank.

“We try to promote a wide range of types of activities, including workshops, lectures, walking tours and others, so that people can find something that they are interested in,” Smith said.

Six years ago, sustainability week was celebrated in April, close to Earth Day. But according to Smith, students found this timing difficult due to its proximity to finals. Thus, the Office of Sustainability moved the week’s events to the fall.

Madison Mahoney  | madison.mahoney@yale.edu

MADISON MAHONEY