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A More Secure Future for All

At UGA, Earth Day is everyday. UGA students, faculty, and staff make conscious decisions every day to leave this wondrous world a little better than we found it. Our campuses function as living laboratories where sustainability principles are researched, taught, practiced, and continually refined. Earth Day (April 22nd) is an opportunity to celebrate and strengthen our commitment to healthier people, stronger communities, and a more secure future for all. We all depend on a healthy environment, and we can all contribute in meaningful ways.

2026 UGA Earth Day & Related Events

April 1UGA Opera in Bloom: Mansfield Park7:00pm – 9:00pmState Botanical Garden of Georgia, Flower GardenEvent Details
April 1April Full Moon Hike8:00pm – 9:30pmState Botanical Garden of GeorgiaEvent Details
April 2Mending Workshop: T-Shirt Tote5:00pm – 7:00pmMLC Maker Space, Room 373Event Details
April 2A Deep Dive into Deep Time: Archaeology, Underwater with Dr. Ashley Lemke5:30pm – 7:30pmCine, The LabEvent Details
April 2Aralee Strange Lecture: Lemuel “Life” LaRoche, “Art, Chess & Resistance: Building Tools to Build Community Impact & Change”5:30pmGeorgia Museum of ArtEvent Details
April 32026 William A. Owens Lecture – Poor Justice: Case Studies in Punishment & Inequality3:00pm – 4:00pmSpecial Collections LibraryEvent Details
April 7Beyond Just Getting By: Supporting the Financial & Relational Lives of Families with Disabilities9:00am – 12:00pmTate Center Reception HallEvent Details
April 9An Evening of Poetry: “We, Too, Are Made of Wonders”5:30pmGeorgia Museum of ArtEvent Details
April 11UGA Trial Gardens Spring Plant Sale8:00am – 1:00pmUGA Trial GardensEvent Details
April 11Environmental Ethics Philosopher’s Walk: Zach Wood10:00am – 12:00pmState Botanical Garden of GeorgiaEvent Details
April 15Workshop: Designing the Environmentally Responsive Landscape; A Nature Inspired Approach9:00am – 4:30pmState Botanical Garden of GeorgiaEvent Details
April 15Yoga on the Lawn5:00pm – 6:00pmNew College LawnEvent Details
April 15Multi-Species Poetry from the Amazon5:30pm-6:30pmGilbert Hall, Room 112Event Details
April 16Warnell Seminar Series: Peter B. Reich “From plant traits to biodiversity-ecosystem function to climate mitigation and justice”3:00pm – 4:14pmWarnell Building 1, Room 304Event Details
April 16Book Presentation: Soil and Land in Soylandia: The Limits of Flexible Farming3:30pmMLC, Room 268Event Details
April 16Book Launch: “Late Heaney” by Nicholas Allen6:00pmCine, The LabEvent Details
April 17Spring Plant Sale2:00pm – 6:00pmState Botanical Garden of GeorgiaEvent Details
April 20Eco Social Work Athens’ Sustainability Fair1:30pm – 3:30pmSchool of Social WorkEvent Details
April 21Sustainable Business Society Project Presentations5:30pm – 6:30pmStudio 225
April 22Ecology Seminar Series: Dr. Amy D. Rosemond, “Freshwater Sustainability in the Anthropocene”10:15amOdum School of Ecology, Room 201Event Details
April 22Earth Day Fair & Market12:00pm-3:00pmTate Center Plaza
April 22East Campus Takes Earth Day5:00pm-7:00pmRooker Hall Fireside Lounge
April 22Earth Day Lecture: David George Haskell “How Flowers Made our World”5:30pmRichard B. Russell Special Collections Libraries, AuditoriumEvent Details
April 22MUSHroom Collective – Earth Day Sculpture – Open for exploration12:00pm – 5:00pmLamar Dodd School of Art, 1st Floor Atrium
April 23MUSHroom Collective – Artist Talk and Mushroom Harvest5:30pmLamar Dodd School of Art, 1st Floor Atrium
April 23UGA’s Earth Gay 20264:00pm – 9:00pmOdum School of Ecology CourtyardEvent Details
April 24UGA Earth Jam3:00pm – 6:00pmLake Herrick Pavilion
April 28Spring 2026 Sustainable UGA Semester in Review11:00am – 1:00pmSpecial Collections LibraryEvent Details
May 2Sustainability Showcase1:00pm – 3:30pmSpecial Collections LibraryEvent Details

History of Earth Day at UGA

On April 22, 1970, Earth Day was observed for the first time across the United States. Conceived in the wake of environmental disasters like the Cuyahoga River catching fire and a massive oil spill off the coast of California, Earth Day harnessed growing public alarm about pollution to put environmental protection on the national agenda. Students and faculty at the University of Georgia took part in the nationwide event, organizing a daylong, public teach-in on the environment featuring lectures, discussions and exhibitions. After more than 50 years, UGA remains committed to ensuring healthy people, strong communities, and a secure future for all.

Gain Skills and Understanding To Create Systemic Change

The Sustainability Certificate incorporates applied learning in interdisciplinary settings and equips students with critical skills to address global sustainability challenges through real-world solutions.

How To Apply