You’re right! It should be Earth Day every day, in the sense that our collective flourishing on this planet requires an everyday, ingrained commitment and attention to environmental action, impact, and justice. Earth Day’s original organizer, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, would not argue any differently.
The first Earth Day in 1970 came after decades of environmentally unregulated industrial growth, punctuated by public-facing disasters like fish kills, rivers on fire, and a 3-million-gallon oil spill. Inspired by the model of recent anti-war teach-ins, Earth Day was meant to ignite a burst of energy and political impetus. Learn more about the history of Earth Day here.
Today, Earth Day is the largest secular observance in the world. At a time when we need collective action more than ever, lean into this as an opportunity to connect with (and create!) community. Gather friends for a clothing swap, share your thoughts on social media, attend an Earth Month event on campus or in the community, organize a teach-in or discussion, or encourage your local and federal representatives to take action — whatever you participate in, make it collaborative and make it impactful.
Behind JHU’s upcoming Earth Month celebrations is a broader foundation built on a history of sustainability champions like Rachel Carson — Hopkins alumna and pioneer of the modern environmental movement. Today, it is grounded in strategic planning and ambitious climate action, like reaching our goal of 51% carbon emissions reductions three years early! While Earth Day is a special moment of visibility, this progress is created every day through collaboration across JHU’s campuses, institutes, and departments. As outlined in JHU’s Climate Action and Sustainability Plan, released in October 2024, this collective effort is ongoing, with places to get involved for many Earth Days to come.
All day | Levering Cafe (during regular hours)
We will be kicking off Earth Month 2025 with a raffle event on April Fools Day encouraging reusable instead of single use drink containers! Winners will be posted on Instagram stories at the end of the day on Tuesday, 4/1.
9 AM – 5:30 PM | Inn at the Colonnade
Join us for the 6th Annual Sustainability Symposium on research, practice, and education on April 2, 2025, hosted by the JHU Sustainability Leadership Council and Office of Climate and Sustainability. The free event will be held at the Inn at The Colonnade, a short walk from the Homewood campus. The day-long symposium will feature presentations, panel discussions, research posters, and informational tabling from Johns Hopkins University students, faculty, and staff on sustainability topics ranging from climate mitigation and adaptation, environmental justice, environmental education, the built environment, responsible consumption practices, and more. After a day of impactful content, we will conclude with a networking social hosted by the Life Design Lab.
Doors will open at 9 AM. There are 5 concurrent tracks which will run from 10 AM – 4 PM, followed by the networking event from 4 – 5:30 PM. Registration is required.
If you have any questions, contact [email protected].
9 – 10 AM | Homewood Athletic Circle Rec Center Multipurpose Room A (Rain location 🌦️)
Join us while we do Yoga under the sun with instructor Nila.
(Rain Location: Rec Center Multipurpose Room A)
RESCHEDULED TO RAIN DATE – NOW Sunday, April 13th
8:30 AM – 1 PM | Abell Community Park
🌳☀️ Join us and get your hands dirty—sweeping, raking, and sprucing up the neighborhood just outside your door! Students, staff, and faculty are invited to volunteer along with neighbors to clean a small section of the neighborhoods around Homewood Campus. All volunteers will receive a free t-shirt and thank-you gift.
Event Details:
Saturday, April 12thSunday, April 13th (Rain date 🌦️)- 8:30 AM Check-in, Abell Community Park, located on the 300 Block of E. 32nd Street
- 9 AM – 12 PM Cleanup
- 12 PM – 1 PM: Post-event celebration, Abell Community Park
All equipment will be provided, so you just need to bring yourself and your enthusiasm! We’ll also provide breakfast and lunch for all volunteers. Please plan to participate in a 10-minute safety training before your volunteer shift begins. To ensure your comfort and safety, we recommend wearing comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes. You may also want to bring a water bottle, sunscreen, and a hat for sun protection.
We will create teams and assign volunteers to groups for the cleanup, so please email us if you need to make changes to your registration, and we can adjust our plan accordingly.
Questions? Concerns? Email: [email protected]
🌦️ Rain Date: Sunday, April 13th
Food Provided (Pastries & Pizza!)
6 – 8 PM | Imagine Center
Join us for a follow up discussion with Author Nicole Fabricant on her book Fighting to Breathe: Race, Toxicity, and the Rise of Youth Activism in Baltimore by Nicole Fabricant. We will explore the impacts of the Baltimore incinerator on the Curtis Bay community in South Baltimore, examining how toxic pollution has shaped the lives of residents and sparked a powerful youth-led activist movement.
3 – 5 PM | Keyser Quad (Rain Location: Glass Pavilion)
Join the Office of Climate and Sustainability in celebrating Earth Day with tabling activities, food, prizes, and more on Keyser Quad April 18th 3-5PM!
Click here for more information and to register.
1 – 3 PM | Levering Courtyard
Join the Office of Climate & Sustainability interns in propagating pothos plants into upcycled lab glass containers for Earth Day! These plants are free, easy to take care of, and will be sure to brighten your day.
5:30 – 7:30 PM | Rita Rossi Colwell Center
The Offices of Sustainability at Johns Hopkins University, Towson University, Loyola University Maryland, and University of Maryland Baltimore are collaborating to provide all local university students an opportunity to attend an engaging Earth Day event featuring expert panelists in sustainability across Maryland. This event will begin with a panel discussion, followed by an interactive networking session!
Free and open to all college students.
8 – 10 PM | Bloomberg Center for Physics & Astronomy
Join the Office of Sustainability at the Maryland Science Observatory for a night filled with starlight and fun!
Click here for more information and to register.
3:30 PM | Babb Field
Join the Office of Climate & Sustainability and Hopkins Athletics & Recreation in celebrating Earth Day! Pick up a reusable water bottle and cheer on the team.
Hopkins Baseball vs Washington College
9 AM – 12 PM | 2046 Robb St
Hopkins is once again joining the efforts of Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott to participate in the Mayor’s Spring Cleanup! The cleanup will take place from 9 am-12 pm on April 26th. All tools and equipment will be provided (plus snacks!).
Please register to attend here. The location of the cleanup has been announced and will be at 2046 Robb Street.
9:30 AM – 4:30 PM | Keyser Quad
Take a break from work or finals studying and relax on hammocks on Keyser Quad all day today! Reconnect with nature and reflect during Earth Month.
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM | Nolan’s
Office of Climate and Sustainability representatives will be tabling at Nolan’s during Meatless Monday – stop by to learn more about OCS and pick up a JHU Sustainability sticker!
5 – 6:30 PM | Scott-Bates Commons
Join Hopkins Dining’s Sustainable Manager, Graham Browning, and Director of Culinary Innovation, Hamilton Goss, in the upcoming cooking series. They’ll teach you how to make salads using leftover ingredients, along with elevated dressings that will make your meal pop!
Click here fore more information and to register.
3 – 5 PM | Keyser Quad
Join us in welcoming back Richfield Farm, where they’ll be selling seasonal herbs and plants.
Hopkins Dining’s new granola provider, Grandy Organics, will also be there sampling their organic, allergen-free and gluten-free granola!
5 -7 PM | Freshman Quad
Celebrate Earth Month with Hopkins Dining during our Picnic for the Planet event! This elevated picnic will feature a buffet-style dinner filled with local and seasonal ingredients, a live band, outdoor games, activities, and more!
The event is open for all meal plan holders (other forms of payment are also accepted, i.e., Dining Dollars, J-Cash, Debit/Credit). Advanced registration is required through the Transact Mobile Ordering App (instructions included in the link) by Tuesday, April 15. Spaces are limited, so sign up today!
9 – 11 AM | 33rd & St Paul Street
Each semester, Hopkins Dining’s Sustainability Manager, Graham Browning, organizes a meet-up at a local Baltimore farmers market near our own Homewood campus at the 32nd Street Farmers Market.
The Spring semester meet up will be Saturday, May 3 from 9 – 11 am (we will meet at 9 am at the corner of 33rd and St Paul Street near Barnes and Noble to walk over together). No registration is required, just show up at 9 am, the first 5 people to join get a Dining swag bag.
Each Monday during the academic year, all residential Hopkins Dining locations offer vegan and/or vegetarian menu options in place of meat.
Check out Hopkins Dining’s recipe of the season (link coming soon) – quinoa salad with fresh asparagus and peas! Our campus Recipe Development Chef, Dale Savel-Turek, created this dorm-friendly recipe to showcase seasonal ingredients for Earth Month.
9 AM – 7:30 PM | Bloomberg Center (DC)
The acronym “HOP25” is an homage to the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), emphasizing a shared commitment to sustainable action and global collaboration for the planet’s future. We share the commitment of COP and similarly take a hopeful and action-oriented approach to climate change, energy, and environmental policy, engaging new audiences and exploring new solutions in the fight for a sustainable future.
Symposium Goals and Objectives:
- Call to attention for emerging sustainable climate, energy, and environmental challenges and solutions, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary approaches, integrating the themes of science, technology and solutions.
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Highlight AAP as a key institution with a long history both academically and as a contributor to and agent of change for public policy, awareness and understanding of complex environmental issues.
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Reach a broad audience (academia [including students, faculty, adjuncts], decisionmakers, science/conservation practitioners, NGO/advocacy groups, private sector, governmental agencies, interested public, etc.) to build awareness and understanding of emerging issues and foster collaborative efforts towards solutions
This symposium is hosted by Johns Hopkins University Advanced Academic Programs: Environmental Sciences and Policy , Energy Policy and Climate , and Geographic Information Systems .
Apr 14 – 15 | Bloomberg Center (DC)
On April 14 and 15, the Science Diplomacy Summit 2025 will bring together stakeholders from across the globe to engage on some of the most pressing scientific topics of our day, including research security, artificial intelligence, quantum information science and technology, climate change innovation, health, space diplomacy, polar diplomacy, and more.
Register today to take part in discussions designed to foster an exchange of ideas, strengthen partnerships, share the latest research, and forge policy solutions alongside U.S. and international government officials, researchers, academics, practitioners, and industry leaders.
10 AM | Charles Commons
Join us for a community clean-up around North Charles and St. Paul Street.
12 – 2 PM | Glass Pavilion
Come join the Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute (ROSEI) to celebrate Earth Day and the institute’s birthday!
The celebration will be held from 12 PM – 2 PM on April 22 (a Tuesday) in the Glass Pavilion on the Homewood Campus. There will be a brief celebration of the institute’s achievements from the past year. Free lunch and cupcakes will be served, and there will also be ROSEI-branded planters available to guests on a first come first serve basis.
2 – 5 PM | Soldier’s Delight (meet at Olin Hall)
SHIP will be collaborating with Dr. Jerry Burgess, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, for an Earth Day hike! The group will leave from Olin Hall, and the hike will be 2-4 miles depending on weather and other conditions.
12 – 1 PM | Olin Hall Room 3025; or click here to join via Zoom
Please join the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences for an upcoming seminar featuring Dr. William Pan from Duke University.
This presentation examines the interrelated dynamics of climate change, migration, and public health in Latin America through a systems-based, interdisciplinary lens. Drawing on case studies from the Amazon, Central America, and the Darien Gap, it highlights how anthropogenic environmental change—from deforestation due to resource extraction (logging, mining, etc.) to altered hydrological cycles—are influencing vector-borne diseases, toxicological exposures, and livelihood decisions. This presentation introduces satellite-informed disease early warning systems, multi-scale migration networks, and impacts of artisanal and small-scale gold mining. The presentation underscores the urgent need for integrated, multisectoral approaches to policy, research, and capacity building to address the region’s escalating environmental health challenges.
About the speaker:
William Pan is a Professor of Global Environmental Health at Duke University, with joint appointments in the Duke Global Health Institute and the Nicholas School of the Environment. He received his doctorate in biostatistics with a focus on spatial analysis, demography, and environmental epidemiology. His work bridges public and environmental health, climate science, engineering, and policy to address environmental drivers of disease. He works is primarily in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with current research addressing (1) chemical exposures from artisanal and small-scale gold mining, (2) the impact of climate, migration, and land use on vector-borne disease, and (3) lead exposure from ammunition, fishing, and wild-game consumption. He leads interdisciplinary teams and launched the Amazon Research Consortium for Climate Change and One Health to support collaborative research across Latin America. He serves on several advisory boards, including The Nature Conservancy’s One Conservation Science program, the Institute for Malaria and Climate Solutions, and the NC One Health Collaborative. He has been recognized for his contributions and capacity-building efforts in statistical public health sciences in LMICs with the NIH Fogarty Director’s Award and UNC’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
9:30 AM – 2:30 PM | South Baltimore (transportation provided)
Join us for a tour of the South Baltimore community and learn from community leaders about potential policies and solutions.
Various times | Bloomberg School of Public Health
Each year, SOURCE holds two Tri-School Days of Service: one in the fall to close out our Baltimore Week celebration, and one in the spring to during our annual National Volunteer Week celebration. Join dozens of other volunteers from the JHU health professional schools and serve our community with one of our SOURCE partner community-based organizations. One morning of volunteer service can truly make a difference!
Open to students, faculty, staff, and alumni from BSPH, JHSON and JHSOM.
Office of Climate & Sustainability Tabling Events
- Monday 4/7 – Employee Well-Being Day East Baltimore | Benefits & Work Life | 10 AM – 2 PM | Turner Concourse
- Monday 4/7 – World Health Day at Peabody | Peabody Student Affairs | 12 – 1:30 PM | Peabody Plaza/Arcade
- Tuesday 4/8 – Employee Well-Being Day Bloomberg Center | Benefits & Work Life | 10 AM – 2:30 PM | Bloomberg Center (DC)
- Wednesday 4/9 – Green Labs @ Genetic Resource Core Facility Symposium | School of Medicine | 9:30 AM – 2 PM | Turner Concourse
- Thursday 4/10 – Green Labs @ Single Cell and Omics Core Symposium | School of Medicine | Turner Concourse
- Monday 4/14 – Employee Well-Being Day Homewood | Benefits & Work Life | 10 AM – 2:30 PM | Glass Pavilion
Community Events
- Ongoing – Turn Again to the Earth | Baltimore Museum of Art
- April 6 – May 10 – Ecocide: Nature in the Shadow of War | The Crow’s Nest
- April 7 – August 17 – Earth as Medium: Extracting Art from Nature (Exhibit) | Baltimore Museum of Art
- April 10 – June 29 – Toxic Overburden: 100 Years of Environmental Injustice and Resistance (Exhibit) | The Peale
- Tuesday 4/10 – Opening Reception: Toxic Overburden | 5:30 PM | The Peale
- Saturday 4/12 – Fix-It Fair | With Station North Tool Library and Baltimore City Dept. of Public Works | 10 AM – 2 PM | Station North Tool Library
- Monday 4/14 – Re-imagining Land – Living on Abandoned Land: Environment and Depopulation on the Azores | With Environmental Design Collective | 12 PM | Virtual
- Wednesday 4/16 – Building Greater Baltimore Momentum for Equitable Climate Solutions | With Greater Baltimore Climate Summit and Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative | 12 PM | Virtual
- Saturday 4/19 – Tuesday 4/22 – Bring on Spring – Earth Day Edition | With Baltimore City Rec & Parks | Multiple locations
- Wednesday 4/23 – Beyond Environmental Literacy: Environmental Education & Climate Communication | With Baltimore Office of Sustainability | 4 PM | Virtual
- Thursday 4/24 – Earth Day Event at Cylburn Arboretum | With Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland | 8 AM – 1 PM | Vollmer Visitor Center
- Thursday 4/24 – Forest Bathing Workshop | With TreeBaltimore and Baltimore City Dept. of Public Works | 5:30 – 7 PM | Leakin Park
- Friday 4/25 – Monday 4/28 – City Nature Challenge 2025 | With National Aquarium
- Saturday 4/26 – Charles North Tree Planting | With Charles North Community Association and Midtown Community Benefits District | 9 AM – 12 PM | 1729 Saint Paul St
- Saturday 4/26 – Celebrate Trails Day with Friends | With Friends of Masonville Cove | 10 AM – 12 PM | Masonville Cove
- Saturday 4/26 – Druid Hill Park BioBlitz | With the National Aquarium and Parks & People | 10 AM – 2 PM | Parks & People’s Green Campus at Druid Hill Park
- Saturday 4/26 – Water Quality/Climate Change Science | With Masonville Cove Partnership | 1:30 – 3:30 PM | Masonville Cove
- Saturday 4/26 – Jones Falls Industrial History Tour: An Ecological Design Collective Grounding | With Ecological Design Collective | 3 – 5 PM | Chestnut Ave & Falls Rd
- Sunday 4/27 – Saturday 5/3 – Nature Everywhere Week | With Baltimore Office of Sustainability and InDiGO | Druid Hill Park
- Wednesday 5/7 – Weed Warriors 101: Invasive Plants in Urban Ecosystems | With Baltimore City Weed Warriors (BCRP) | 6 – 8:30 PM | Virtual
- Thursday 5/8 – Vermicomposting Workshop | With Bmore Garden Space and Baltimore City Dept. of Public Works | 5:30 – 6:30 PM | Bmore Garden Space
- Saturday 5/10 – Urban Veggie Gardening 101 | With Filbert Street Garden and Enoch Pratt Free Library | 10 – 11 AM | Filbert Street Garden
- Saturday 5/10 – Notable Tree Bus Tour of South Baltimore | With TreeBaltimore | 10 AM – 1 PM | Carroll Park
- Saturday 5/10 – Fort McHenry Cleanup and Gardening | With National Aquarium | 10 AM – 1 PM | Fort McHenry
- Saturday 5/10 – Conversation Series with Artist Asad Raza | With Ecological Design Collective | 12 – 2 PM | Virtual
- Saturday 5/10 – Guided Forest Bathing Walk | With TreeBaltimore and Baltimore City Rec & Parks | 2 – 3:30 PM | Wyman Park