USC Earth Month initiatives enhance awareness of ecological concerns

Whether you participate in a documentary viewing, attend a seminar, or spend leisurely moments in the USC Peace Garden, there are countless opportunities to feel motivated and more attuned to nature during USC’s Earth Month festivities in April. More than 60 activities are organized across university campuses that advocate for the planet and Assignment: Earth, USC’s sustainable development framework for cultivating a healthy, equitable, and prosperous campus and global community.

“Earth Month at USC highlights ecological and associated social issues in an impressive array of methods,” USC Chief Sustainability Officer Mick Dalrymple stated. “We fervently urge everyone to discover ways to engage and learn about possibilities to effect positive change.”

Here are a few notable events for USC’s Earth Month.

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Tommy’s Closet initiative

Tommy’s Closet represents a hallmark Student Basic Needs event that motivates the USC community to contribute gently used garments to students who can benefit from them. “We seek donations from all genders to offer students diverse options that cater to their requirements,” expressed Devon Hernandez, interim director of Trojan Success Initiatives for USC Student Equity and Inclusion Programs. “Every contribution not only aids a fellow Trojan in feeling assured and prepared, but it also fosters sustainability by minimizing waste and granting clothing a second opportunity.”

• When: Tuesday, April 1, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Where: USC Sustainability Hub, Room 101 of the Gwynn Wilson Student Union building
• Discover more online

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Climate Forward Symposium

The Climate Forward symposium gathers prominent specialists
“`to engage in practical, nonpartisan approaches to address some of the most urgent environmental challenges we face today. Jointly hosted by the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability and the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future, this year’s gathering features former U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), former U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), along with Mike Murphy and David Hill from the EV Politics Project, which is a bipartisan initiative focused on bridging political gaps concerning electric vehicles. “No matter our backgrounds, professions, or political affiliations — we all inhabit the same planet and are impacted by climate change,” noted Joel Árvai, director of the Wrigley Institute and co-host of the event. “I eagerly anticipate Climate Forward every year because it promotes unity despite our differences. We engage in dialogue around shared objectives and how we can cultivate a vibrant, healthy world for both the present and future generations. To me, that instills a great sense of hope.” Attendance for the conference is complimentary; however, registration is necessary. The discussion will also be available via Zoom.

• When: Thursday, April 3, noon-4 p.m.
• Where: Town and Gown on the USC University Park Campus
• Discover more online

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Arts & Climate Collective Festival

The festival, now in its fourth iteration, showcases student artwork and projects that link creativity and storytelling with sustainability and environmental equity, along with music and dance performances, workshops, and free food and produce distributions. Over 30 USC departments, student groups, and community organizations are anticipated to take part in a resource fair. “I always feel immensely inspired after this event – witnessing various organizations and individuals unite, all striving towards a sustainable future in diverse manners – whether through art, policy, grassroots activism, research, mutual assistance, or advocacy – there truly is space for everyone in this movement,” expressed Hannah Findling, co-founder and co-leader of the Arts & Climate Collective. Established in 2021, the collective encourages students to utilize storytelling and the arts to tackle a wide array of sustainability-related matters. Since its founding, the collective has supported nearly 80 student-led art endeavors. Admission is complimentary; registration is preferred.

• When: April 8, 1-4 p.m.
• Where: Founders Park on the University Park Campus
• Discover more online

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Dialogue with the 2025 Tyler Prize laureates

Argentinian ecologist Sandra Díaz and Brazilian American anthropologist Eduardo Brondízio will converse about their Tyler Prize-recognized research regarding the connection between humanity and nature in what promises to be an enlightening discussion. The Tyler Prize, managed by USC, is the longest-running and most esteemed environmental accolade of its kind. This year’s honorees are the inaugural individual recipients from South America. Díaz is acclaimed for her investigations into functional traits of vascular plants, while Brondízio is a distinguished authority on human-environment relationships and social-environmental changes within the Amazon. “The climate crisis, biodiversity degradation, and the stark socioeconomic disparities globally are interconnected, all bound by the living tapestry of our planet,” Díaz and Brondízio stated in a joint declaration. The event requires free registration.

• When: April 10, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Where: Michelson Hall on the University Park Campus
• Discover more online

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Student Sustainability Town Hall with USC President Carol Folt

Students from USC will have the opportunity to engage with leading sustainability experts at the fourth annual Student Sustainability Town Hall. USC President Carol Folt, who has made sustainability research, policy, and practices one of her key “moonshot” initiatives, will provide the opening remarks. Additional speakers include Mick Dalrymple, USC’s chief sustainability officer; Mahta Moghaddam, Distinguished Professor and co-chair of Folt’s Presidential Working Group on Sustainability; Monica Dean, climate and sustainability practice director for the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences’ Public Exchange; and Shannon Gibson, USC Dornsife professor (teaching) of environmental studies and political science and international relations. “This is an excellent chance for students to learn more about USC’s initiatives toward sustainability and understand how related matters will affect our professional domains in the future,” noted Jon-Marc Burgess, co-executive director of the USC Environmental Student Assembly, involved in organizing this event alongside the USC Student Sustainability Committee.

• When: April 16, 4-5:30 p.m.
• Where: Doheny Memorial Library, Room 240

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Documentary premiere and dialogue: Power in the Desert

Earth Day — April 22 — is an ideal time to attend the premier screening of Power in the Desert, a contemporary documentary delving into the dangers and complications of extracting lithium from California’s Imperial Valley and South America’s Atacama Desert. This screening, organized by the USC Dornsife Equity Research Institute and the University of California, Santa Cruz, Institute for Social Transformation, will follow with a discussion featuring director/producer Emiliano Rodriguez Nuesch alongside Manuel Pastor, director of the Equity Research Institute, and Chris Brenner, director of the UC Santa Cruz Institute for Social Transformation. Both Pastor and Brenner co-authored the recently released book Charging Forward: Lithium Valley, Electric Vehicles, and a Just Future. Registration for the event is complimentary but required.

• When: April 22, 4-5:30 p.m.
• Where: Online
• Discover more online