encompass a judged research poster competition, an art exhibition and competition, and a series of lectures, panels, films and activities. These events bring renowned researchers, activists and officials to campus to engage students, faculty, staff, alumni and the larger community. View summaries of the 2023 and 2022 celebrations.

Please consider supporting our work by visiting our crowdfunding page. Follow Earth Days and SSU Sustainability on Instagram and on Facebook.

Monday, April 8 

Minigolf on North Campus Quad – April 8 – 19th

Play the mini golf holes that Art + Design department students have
created on the North Campus Quad near the mural. Each one has a
different environmental theme.

Golf clubs are available from the Library Help Desk

Evolution, Ethics, and Engineering Wild Mice to Stop Lyme Disease
9:25-10:40 am, ECC Veterans Hall

Kevin Esvelt, Associate Professor and Director of the Sculpting Evolution group, MIT. Sponsored by the Darwin Festival.

Earth Days Research Poster Competition Judging
10:30 am, student set-up

11 am – 12:15 pm poster viewing, Ellison Campus Center Veterans Hall

All are welcome to view student scholarship addressing environmental issues.

Tuesday, April 9

From Air to Makeup: Addressing Environmental Justice in the U.S.
12:30-1:45 pm, ECC, Martin Luther King, Jr. Room      

Micaela Martinez, Director of Environmental Health at WE ACT for Environmental Justice, New York City. This inspiring recorded talk is back by popular demand.

Legal Action for Climate Justice: A Global Movement
1:30-2:30 pm, Via Zoom. Register for this event.

Benjamin Franta, Senior Research Fellow in Climate Litigation at the Oxford Sustainable Law Programme and the founding head of the Climate Litigation Lab.The Climate Litigation Lab is a multidisciplinary research initiative to inform, enable, and accelerate climate change litigation globally. His research focuses on applying rigorous methods to practical challenges presented by climate litigation worldwide and has been published in Nature Climate Change, Global Environmental Change, The Guardian, and more, translated into 10 languages, and cited in the US Congressional Record.

Forest River Park Beach Clean-up
4:30-5:30 pm

Join students from the BioSociety, Scuba Club, Greenhouse Club, and SACNAS for a clean-up of Forest River Park Beach.

Meet in front of the Theater on North Campus.

Wednesday, April 10

Hike and Trail Cleanup
4-5:30 pm, Meet in front of Harrington Building on South Campus

Hike through the Forest River Conservation Area and clean up along the way with the Geology students of the Earth Science Association (ESA) club.

Climate, Justice, and the Economy: Imagining an Equitable and Sustainable Future; A Public Conversation with Avi Chomsky 
6:30 -8pm, Marsh Hall Petrowski Room

Professor Avi Chomsky in Salem State’s history department is the author, most recently, of Is Science Enough? Forty Critical Questions about Climate Justice. Professor Noel Healy, Salem State geography and sustainability department will moderate a conversation as we envision an equitable and sustainable future. Free books for early arrivals.

Sponsored by Salem Alliance for the Environment (SAFE).

Event Registration

Thursday, April 11

Addressing Climate and Environmental Crises through Art and Activism with Katie Pustizzi and Lonnie Stanton
9:25-10:40 am, Charlotte Forten Hall (formerly Viking Hall) Room 123

Through dance and movement, Pustizzi’s award-winning dance film “Liquid Spine: Augusta” highlights the environmental and health challenges of the region known as “The Black Triangle” in Sicily due to seaside industry. Stanton will discuss her recent work with Salem State dance students in creating “Restorative Rage”  amplifying the work of Salem Sound Coastwatch.

Saving our Shoreline: Resilient Coasts in Salem

10:50 – 11:50 am, ECC Martin Luther King, Jr. Room

Barbara Warren is the Executive Director of Salem Sound Coastwatch and serves as the Lower North Shore Regional Coordinator for the Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Partnership. She will focus on climate awareness, flooding, and coastal resilience.

Sustainable Landscape Panel
12:15-1:30 pm, Martin Luther King, Jr. Room

SSU Professors Nick Geron (geography and sustainability) and Lisa Delissio (biology) will discuss their work with the Greening the Gateway City Program and the Sargent Arboretum, respectively. Moderated by the Sustainability Council Interns.

Earth Days Awards Ceremony
5-6:30 pm, Viking 123

Friend of the Earth Awardees will be honored and will give brief remarks: Salem City Councillor Jeff Cohen, and the Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition. We will also honor SSU Student Friend of the Earth Brielle Laurent.

Student research poster contest and creative writing contest winners will receive awards and winners of the writing contest will read their winning entries. Food will be provided. Details forthcoming.

Friday, April 12

Film: Inundation District (79 minutes) with a Q and A with Director David Abel.
12:15-2:15 pm, Veterans Hall

Directed by Pulitzer prize-winning director David Abel, this film explores the implications of Boston’s decision to ignore the threats posed by climate change and spend billions of dollars building a new waterfront district — on landfill, at sea level, and in the bullseye of rising seas.

Sunday, April 28

Salem Kicks Gas: A North Shore Electric Vehicle Expo

Salem High School,77 Willson St. Salem

If you are curious about electric vehicles, this is your chance to check them out in person. Local EV dealerships and car owners, as well as bicycle shops and electric bike/scooter owners will be showcasing their rides. Battery-powered outdoor equipment will also be featured. Learn more and register.

Sponsored by the City of Salem.

Earth Days Recorded Events

Climate Change and Psychological Well-being: Impacts and Resilience

Professor Susan Clayton, Psychology Department, College of Wooster, Ohio.

View the webinar.