MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Energy and Sustainability is gearing up for Campus Sustainability Month in October with a host of activities designed to engage, educate and inspire the campus community.

“In many ways, Campus Sustainability Month serves as a complement to Earth Month in April,” said Kristen Hargis, assistant sustainability manager for the Center for Energy and Sustainability, or CES.

The CES events are designed to highlight the university’s growing leadership in environmental stewardship as well as create opportunities for the campus community to convene for a common cause.

“What I love about Campus Sustainability Month is that it specifically focuses on how colleges and universities are addressing sustainability challenges,” Hargis said.

That focus has guided the event planning, Hargis explained.

“For example, our ‘From Plate to Planet’ event on Oct. 2 will include representatives from MT Dining and the Fermentation Sciences program, who will share how they’re tackling food waste through daily operations and academic research,” Hargis said.

From noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, Blue Raiders can participate in a Bob Ross-inspired “Happy Trees” paint and sip in Walnut Grove at Peck Hall, 537 Old Main Circle. The event is free but registration is required. Reserve your spot at bit.ly/4yQX8JA.

“During this event, students will be guided in painting a campus landscape while surrounded by trees in our certified arboretum, which boasts over 70 marked trees across the 500-acre campus,” Hargis said.

The Clothing Swap from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, will highlight — from head to toe — the benefits of recycling textiles and the value it adds to your wallet.

An event that spotlights MTSU’s research on the Duck River will take place at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, with a screening of the documentary film, “Down the Duck.” Located in Middle Tennessee, the “mighty Duck” is one of the most biologically diverse freshwater rivers in North America and home to aquatic life that cannot be found anywhere else on Earth.

“One of the main reasons we chose to screen the documentary was because we knew there were MTSU students and faculty already researching the Duck River and helping address the local challenges it faces,” Hargis said. “It felt like a great opportunity to connect the campus community with an issue that is both locally relevant and personally meaningful.”

The documentary screening will also host representatives from the Department of Geosciences, MTSU Stormwater, Harpeth Conservancy river conservation program and PBS Nashville to discuss opportunities for students to get involved through coursework, research and community engagement. Pizza and soda will be provided.

The month will conclude with MTSU’s second “Plant a Bigger Tree for Tennessee” sale, in partnership with Green Interchange, a nonprofit dedicated to reforestation and establishing native habitats. Sales close Monday, Oct. 20, and pickup is 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26.

“Ultimately, I hope people walk away from Campus Sustainability Month feeling inspired by the sustainability work happening across campus, aware of the many ways they can get involved, and motivated to contribute using their own talents, skills and passions,” Hargis said.

Campus Sustainability Month events

• 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1 — Seed Library open house, located near the reference desk in James E. Walker Library, 1611 Alumni Drive.

• 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2 — “From Plate to Planet,” Student Union Commons, 1768 MTSU Blvd.

• 12:30-2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6 — CES meetup, Business and Aerospace Building quad, 1642 MTSU Blvd.

• 12-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8 — “Happy Trees” paint and sip, Walnut Grove at Peck Hall, 537 Old Main Circle. Register: bit.ly/4yQX8JA.

• 4:30-6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19 — Clothing swap, Room 324 at Keathley University Center, 1524 Military Memorial.

• 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20 — “Down the Duck” documentary screening, Room 221 at Learning Resource Center, 1558 Military Memorial.

• 4-6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26 — “Plant a Bigger Tree” pickup, Livestock Center (Barn B), 1720 Greenland Drive. Note: Tree sales close Oct. 20; visit greeninterchange.org/plant-a-bigger-tree.html to order.

To learn more about CES sustainability efforts, visit ces.mtsu.edu/.

— Nancy DeGennaro ([email protected])