Earth Month will embark on its 45th anniversary this upcoming April, and the University of Iowa Student Garden will be holding educational and interactive environmental events in honor of the local and worldwide innovative to “go green.”

Earth Month is intended to create awareness and appreciation of the ecosystem every April, with the goal of working toward a more sustainable and regenerative society.

The UI Student Garden will host 15 events throughout Earth Month.

Such events include a benefit concert at the Mill and a bike challenge, as well as an open house at the UI Student Garden and a banquet with locally grown food.

“It’s really important, I think, to go out and increase visibility for these specific things such as Women’s History Month and Black History Month,” Student Garden Co-President Sophie Coker Gunnink said. “Those are specific issues that are important to listen about, and Earth Month is just another one of those issues that is important to hear about and increase visibility.”

The Student Garden is a organization on campus that working toward establishing educational models for sustainable food production and consumption here at the university, as well as addressing issues on campus on environmental issues.

Earth Month gives the opportunity for students involved and interested in environmentalism to express and advocate on current environmental issues such as climate change, local food, sustainability, and recycling. 

“I think it’s important for other students to become invested with sustainability. making our campus more regenerative and sustainable” said Andrew Hirst, the Student Garden co-president. “It’s a celebration about sustainability. It’s important to highlight such issues to make the campus more renewable and sustainable. Earth Month is time to educate the general relationship with the Earth and its environment.”

In addition to Earth Month, the Student Garden runs a garden on the just off Hawkeye Park Road, with a third of an acre of land that allows students to grow and serve local produce to UI Food Services — in an attempt to create a more greener and sustainable campus.

UI freshman Ian Dunbar said the Student Garden has been doing an excellent job in raising awareness on campus.

“The organization has grown so much, and for Earth Month the UI Student Garden is offering hands-on learning for those who are interested, and I think that’s extremely important,” Dunbar said.