UCI Earth Week

Join the UCI sustainability community for a celebration of the work that has been done this past year, and the work that is to still continue.

Join the Sustainability Resource Center and the Sustainability facilitator to learn about the textile industry through interactive, hands-on mini-games. This workshop offers a deep dive into the fabric life cycle, highlighting the textile industry's social and environmental impacts, and introducing sustainable alternatives. Participants will achieve a comprehensive understanding of the industry, from the sourcing of raw materials to end-of-life management.

Food will be provided to attendees.

Textiles are everywhere! In our clothing, furniture, toys and even computers! But how much do you really know about them? What exactly are our textiles made from? How sustainable are they, really? How far do our clothes travel before we buy them? Where do they go once they are donated?

This collaborative workshop illustrates the complexities and impacts (social and ecological) of the textile industry by using clothing as a case study. Participants will create the production chain of textiles, learn about the industry's impact, and then work together to find solutions and actions they can take.

You will learn:
1. Materials 101 - What fabrics should I choose?
2. The life cycle of textiles, from raw materials to end of life
3. Textile industry impacts on the planet and on humans
4. How to think critically of claims made by companies & organizations about their sustainability
5. Notions of ciruclar economy, systems view thinking, and human-centered solutions
6. Actions that can be taken on a collective, business, and individual level.

The event is organized during Fashion Revolution Week, a global movement iwht a collective vision for a fashion industry that conserves and restores the environment and values people over growht and profit. 

Join the Sustainability Resource Center on ring road from 12pm - 2pm for a kick-off event talking about Earth Week and all of the sustainability opportunities available to you. We will have a quick sustainable activity you can do at the table.

Tomato Gardening Workshop/ Mental Wellbeing Resource Fair

Saturday, April 13, 2024
Wellbeing Resource Booths 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Wellbeing Speaker, UCI Counseling Center 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Tomato Planting Program 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Verano Place Community Center Multipurpose Room
Refreshments provided.
Open to the UCI Community

*Please select options for attending booths/presentation and/or receiving a tomato plant "make and take" gardening kit as desired. Gardening kits will be limited to 1 kit per the first 60 individuals/families registered. Waitlist enabled.

Don't have a garden bed to plant a tomato plant in? Then this is the event you want to attend. Learn how you can grow tomatoes in a small space, best practices for warm season plants and hear how having even a small garden is good for your mental health. Each resident or family will go home with their very own tomato plant to get them started on their gardening experience.

With Special Guests: UC Master Gardeners of Orange County and Empower Youth

The University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Master Gardeners of Orange County, California, are a dedicated group of trained volunteers that share information about gardening in and around the Orange County area. The purpose of the UC Master Gardener Program is to extend research-based, scientifically accurate information to the public about home horticulture and pest management.
https://mgorange.ucanr.edu/

Empower Youth will provide an engaging discussion and resource booth with tools for wellbeing and self-care from their Mental Wellness Initiative. This important work is funded by the OC Health Care Agency through the Mental Health Services Act.

Visitors, please pay to park at the Verano or ARC structures.

Resource booths provided by partners above as well as UCI Graduate and Family Housing, UCI Student Wellness and Health Promotion, UCI CARE, UCI Basic Needs Center, and others. Children's craft table too!

• Attend Booths and/or Presentation
• Tomato Plant Kit Materials