April was an exciting month for the Office of Climate and Sustainability as we celebrated Earth Month with a wide array of events across campus and beyond!
We kicked off the month with the 6th annual Johns Hopkins University Sustainability Symposium, which connected more than 330 students, faculty, and staff from departments across the university to highlight their work, learn from one another, and foster multidisciplinary dialogue on climate and sustainability research, practice, and education. Keynote speaker Serena McIlwain, secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment, discussed her department’s focus on sustainability, equity, and organizational excellence and stressed the importance and influence of institutions like Hopkins to advance environmental research, set standards, and push for change.
The 3rd annual Earth Fest featured smoothie bikes, tabling from student organizations and campus departments, upcycled art projects, and live music. By visiting multiple tables and getting their event passports stamped, participants were also able to receive plant-based food and giveaways, including reusable produce bags, Swedish dish cloths, beeswax wraps, or an OCS tote bag. Jay even stopped by to check out the festivities, hopping on a smoothie bike, learning more from the tabling organizations, and posing for pictures!
Among the groups tabling were the Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health, Richfield Farm, Johns Hopkins Outdoors Club, and Hopkins Student Wind Energy Team. SHIP (Sustainable Hopkins Innovative Projects) organized a pop-up thrift shop for the event. At their table, Hopkins Dining featured JHU’s new granola provider, Grandy Organics, who offered samples of their organic, allergen-free, and gluten-free granola. Earth Fest attendees were also treated to live music from student Faith McCarthy.
OCS collaborated with the Offices of Sustainability at Towson University, Loyola University Maryland, and University of Maryland Baltimore on an engaging panel and networking event for local area college students. The event, held at the Rita Rossi Colwell Center, was titled (Y)our Power, Our Planet: An Earth Day Conversation on Environmental Action.
The Center for Social Concern (CSC) and OCS held a follow up Hop Talks event with author Dr. Nicole Fabricant on her book Fighting to Breathe: Race, Toxicity, and the Rise of Youth Activism in Baltimore. The discussion explored 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. CSC also organized a related tour of the South Baltimore community focused on learning from local leaders and creating more sustainable communities.
The Office worked with Hopkins Athletics and Recreation to highlight sustainability at a baseball game on April 25th — attendees could receive a free reusable water bottle, learn more from OCS staff, and step up to the plate to test their campus climate and sustainability knowledge in between cheering on the team. OCS staff and interns participated in community street tidying events, one organized by Off-Campus Housing and another by the Government Community and Economic Partnerships Office with the Baltimore Mayor’s Office. We also tabled to spread the word about Johns Hopkins’ sustainability efforts at a Meatless Monday event, Picnic for the Planet, Employee Well-Being Days, World Health Day at Peabody Conservatory, and research symposia at the School of Medicine.
Our other Earth Month events included:
- Earth Day giveaway of plant cuttings in recycled lab glassware
- April “Thirst” bring-your-own mug raffle, in which participants were encouraged to bring alternative drinking vessels for April Fool’s Day
- Earth Month yoga session
- Stargazing event at the Maryland Science Observatory
In addition to programming from OCS, other Earth Month activities were organized by departments and organizations across campus. Hopkins Dining held their annual Picnic for the Planet and a cooking demonstration on preventing food waste. Johns Hopkins’ Advanced Academic Programs (Environmental Sciences and Policy, Energy Policy and Climate, and Geographic Information Systems) held the Healing Our Planet 2025 (HOP2025) conference, which focused on promoting 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. And the Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute (ROSEI) celebrated both Earth Day and the institute’s birthday.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to and participated in Earth Month activities! The Office of Climate and Sustainability’s Earth Month programming is part of the Office’s work to advance the university’s Climate Action and Sustainability Plan. The plan, released in October 2024, outlines Johns Hopkins’ commitments to reduce its environmental impact and leverage the multidisciplinary expertise found on campus to create scalable solutions to address climate change.