Active Commute Celebration Featuring Roam NRV Bike Share

Do you bike, walk or take the bus to work or school? Whether you’re a veteran active commuter, a beginner, or just want to learn about your options – come celebrate active commuting and our new Roam NRV Bike Share Program with us on Wednesday morning. Free coffee, tea, and bagels! Drop in anytime - we’ll be there until 1 p.m.!  *kid/family friendly

Time: 8 a.m. – noon

Location/Directions: Squires Plaza, VT Campus

Additional Information: VT Alternative Transportation, Roam NRV, Hokie Bike Hub, Ride Share Solutions

Simply Elemental: Mindfulness in the Garden

As part of Sustainability Week and Simply Elemental, Elizabeth Spillman of Mindful Arts will lead a Tai Chi class in the garden. It will be followed by an introduction to mindfulness and a guided meditation with Amy Epperley, Assistant Director, Hokie Wellness. Join us for a relaxing lunchtime break to learn more about these important practices. The class will be held indoors at the Peggy Lee Hahn Garden Pavilion if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Free and open for anyone to attend.

Time: Noon - 1 p.m.

Location/Directions: 200 Garden Ln. Hahn Horticulture Garden

Additional Information: Tai Chi on Youtube

Blacksburg Farmers Market

The Blacksburg Farmers Market is a local, family-friendly gathering place in downtown Blacksburg featuring farmers of locally grown produce and meats, alongside artisans of baked goods and handmade crafts.

Time: Noon - 6 p.m.

Location/Directions: Market Square Park is located on the corner of Roanoke Street and Draper Road in the heart of downtown Blacksburg. Parking is available at metered lots around town and Kent Square parking garage.

Additional Information: Blacksburg Farmers Market

Pecha Kucha Night: Fun & Fast Paced Presentations

Bored to death with standard PowerPoint presentations – regardless of topic? Well those days are over! The Sustainability Week Team and the Virginia Tech Center for Communicating Science have teamed up to bring you nine great speakers — rapid fire — who will be presenting on their environmental/sustainability topic of expertise or passion. BUT they’re only allowed 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide! We’re packing A LOT of content into one event with discussion and refreshments to follow. Featured topics include: Green Labs, Developing an Ecological Perspective, Fun with Kids, Zero Waste, Fun with Pallets, Yards-Birds-Bees, New Recycling, and the MVP.

Time: 6-8 p.m.

Location/Directions: 204 Draper Rd., SW, Alexander Black House

Additional Information: Center for Communicating Science, Pecha Kucha

Kids’ Activities Passport

We believe that children are our future! This year for Sustainability Week we are offering a passport to all the activities that are kid/family friendly. Kids who participate in at least four Sustainability Week activities (initialed by parent/teacher) will receive a special prize! Download and print the passport

Times: At least one kid/family friendly event is being offered each day of Sustainability Week – see event descriptions below and look for *kid/family friendly to find all the fantastic events you and your kiddos could attend!

Location: Multiple locations – download and print the passport

Additional Information: Passports can be picked up at the SEEDS Office/Price House Nature Center at 107 Wharton Street SE, the YMCA Thrift Store at 1000 N. Main St., or Imaginations Toy and Furniture at 1531 S. Main St, Blacksburg, VA 24060 or the Blacksburg Library at 200 Miller St. If you would like the passport emailed to you, please contact sustainability@blacksburg.gov. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent at all Sustainability Week events. Prizes for completed passports can be collected at any of the places where passports were distributed, or at the Town of Blacksburg Sustainability Office at 141 Jackson St.

Caught Green Handed

Do you see people on campus or around town using reusable bags, biking to work, or filling a reusable water bottle, or doing something else green? Help us catch these people “green handed.” This campaign looks to spread awareness and give a tangible “attagirl” or “attaboy” to folks who take that extra step to make green choices in their everyday lives. CGH Ambassadors will be given a set of Caught Green Handed stickers and over the course of the week, they will keep their eyes peeled so they can “catch” people doing something green. We also ask our CGH Ambassadors to help spread the message by posting pics of themselves with their “catchee” to our social media campaign #CaughtGreenHanded. (with permission of course). *kid/family friendly (kids can be CGH Ambassadors as long as they are working with a parent/adult)

Time: All week

Location: Anywhere someone can be caught!

Additional Information: We need 20 volunteers to be Caught Green Handed Ambassadors – if you are interested, please visit our Volunteer SignUp Page, or contact skarlee3@vt.edu (if you are a VT student) or sustainability@blacksburg.gov (if you are a community member).

Wands for Wildlife

Recycle a save wild lives! Old mascara wands are perfect for removing parasites and debris from the fur and feathers of sick and injured animals brought to the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge Center. We’ll be putting out collection boxes in key places on campus and around the community during Sustainability Week (September) and will collect them during Earth Week (April). Please wash off residual mascara in warm soapy water before placing them in the collection boxes.

Time:  All week

Additional Information: Appalachian Wildlife Refuge Wands for Wildlife Program

The Last Plastic Straw Campaign

Did you know 500 million straws are used and discarded every day in the United States alone? Single-use plastics like straws are used for an average of 12 minutes, yet last for hundreds (if not thousands) of years! During Sustainability Week, we are looking for community volunteers to encourage local restaurants to provide a straw only when a customer requests one. Volunteers will be given an outreach packet complete with promotional materials that restaurants can use to highlight their new earth- and wildlife-friendly practice. This is a great project for families and students alike – if you would like help, please email Jennifer Jen: jenniferhjen@gmail.com

Time: All week

Additional Information: The Last Plastic Straw