Every year, Earth Day serves as a reminder to protect, preserve and appreciate the planet. At the University of Delaware, this year's commemoration of Earth Day took place Friday, April 26, at the Earth Day on the Green event.

Hosted by the University’s Climate Change Hub, the event took place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the North Green, featuring booths from registered student organizations, climate activist groups and local environmental nonprofits.

“We like to have the students come out and promote whatever it is they’re doing to make the Earth better,” said Erika Chance, Climate Change Hub business administrator who is pursuing a master's degree in public policy.

In the weeks leading up to the event, Chance worked to set up and coordinate the participating organizations, reserving the Green, tables, music and booths. She explained that one of her favorite things about the event is seeing how many students get involved.

“Having all the students come out and participate is really nice,” Chance said. “A lot of students were raring to go, which is nice because they want to be involved, so that's always nice to have a lot of participation from students.”

Sustainably Shopping

One highlight for attendees was the sustainable clothing swap hosted by UD’s Climate Fellows. Foldable tables stacked with jackets, shirts, pajamas and other articles of clothing donated by UD students were spread across the grass. Passersby had the option to browse the collection and take whatever clothes caught their eye.

“We wanted to develop a sustainable way for students to kind of build their wardrobe,” said Emma Korein, a marine policy doctoral student and president of the Climate Fellows.

Korein explained that through carbon emissions and the use of synthetic and plastic materials, fast fashion has been a major contributor to climate change. Products are often produced overseas using unsustainable practices before being shipped internationally, which contributes further to carbon emissions. By hosting the clothing swap, Korein said they hope to limit fast fashion on campus and encourage students to take advantage of secondhand options.

“This is a way for people who need to get rid of clothes to be able to have a place to drop them off,” Korein said. “Then people who want to purchase new clothes, instead of going to a store and contributing to an unsustainable industry, they can come here, pick up a perfectly good piece of clothing in a more sustainable way.”

Environmental Activism

Emma Abrams spent her afternoon at the event manning Sunrise Newark’s booth. A registered student organization on campus, Sunrise Newark is part of the larger national Sunrise Movement, which advocates for environmental justice and a greener economy through initiatives like the Green New Deal.

At Earth Day on the Green, Sunrise Newark brought pH strips and invited attendees to test the pH levels of their water bottles while checking for harmful chemicals like lead and mercury.

“We want to get people thinking about how we sometimes take for granted having safe drinking water here in Delaware,” said Abrams, the political outreach coordinator for Sunrise Newark. “But really across the state, there's a whole bunch of environmental justice issues with having access to clean, safe drinking water.”

Abrams said the activity was inspired by the planned expansion of the Port of Wilmington, which some environmentalists argue could contaminate the city’s drinking water with harmful chemicals. The organization wanted people to be more conscious about what is in their water, Abrams said.

Professional Development

Based at UD’s Hugh R. Sharp campus in Lewes, the Society for Women in Marine Science (SWMS) made the trip to Newark to attend the event. Their booth featured a poster explaining how the organization offers professional development opportunities for women studying marine science through conferences, networking, and resume and cover letter workshops.

Ophelia Christoph, a doctoral student in geological sciences, said SWMS hopes to help people protect and preserve the oceans, but they also want to focus on helping women be part of the conversation.

“It's important to continue to inspire women to be able to participate in male-dominated fields,” Christoph said.

The Mission

Chance admits that the impending effects of climate change can be daunting. Consequences like sea level rise, storm surges and wildfires can sometimes seem overwhelming. Through this event, she hopes to change that.

“Sometimes climate change can feel really big,” Chance said. “We like to have this event so that we can let everyone know there are small steps that we can do to help everyone be more sustainable. I think a lot of students, and even adults, feel like it's such a huge issue, so what could I possibly do? But we can all do something small, and one small ripple can create this whole thing.”