Carleton’s Climate Action Week and Northfield’s Earth Day Celebration are happening from Monday, April 21 to Saturday, April 26! Our institutional commitment and community collaboration to address the climate crisis is especially important now, in light of shifting federal priorities and erasure of climate information, resources, and education materials.
This year, we have a lot to celebrate at Carleton, including the establishment of the Sustainable Futures Framework, which will advance curricular innovation and student leadership in sustainability and climate justice as well as our continued progress in reducing our emissions. Carleton was also recognized with a Second Nature Climate Luminary Honors Award for excellence in decarbonization and joined a diverse cohort of 20 colleges piloting a Carnegie Elective in Sustainability to support the development of new recognition for sustainability in higher education.
Climate Action Week and Earth Day events celebrate and support our ongoing action throughout the year in education, community collaboration, and work to support broader change. Events include opportunities to learn approaches and reflect on climate action literacy, career exploration, food and energy tours, and skill-building opportunities. We are especially excited to offer an Earth Day conversation with Northfield mayor Erica Zweifel, who will share updates on the City of Northfield’s Climate Action Plan, some of her work as part of the Climate Mayor network, and ideas on integrating climate into city work and careers, as well as how students can start building skills.
All events will be listed on the Sustainability Events calendar. Following are just a few examples:
- Tuesday, April 15 | LTC Lunch: Building Climate Literacy for Decisions and Solutions with Deborah Gross, professor of chemistry; Sarah Fortner, director of sustainability; and Jennifer Tonko, executive director of Clean River Partners, 11:45 a.m., Weitz 236
- Monday, April 21 | Find a Job in Climate, presented by College to Climate, 6 p.m. virtual
- Tuesday, April 22 | Earth Day with Northfield’s Climate Mayor Erica Zweifel, 4 p.m., Weitz 236
- Wednesday, April 23 | Improve Your Zero Waste Skills: Learn and Plan to Apply Ideas from Campus and Community Experts, 5 p.m., Anderson 031
Our climate work and resilience is deeply intertwined with our community. Northfield’s 2025 Earth Day Celebration on April 26, “Down with Extreme Weather, We Can Do This Together,” includes a public tree-planting event starting at 9:30 in the Cowling Arboretum (RSVP) and many workshops and vendors at Armory Square from beginning at 11:00. The event culminates with a panel at 3:00 discussion on flooding and resiliency that includes local climate and water experts, including Carleton Sustainability Assistants, city experts, and Clean River Partners.
Thank you to all who are getting the word out about climate action, including it in education, taking it up in your departments and programs, and collaborating to support the action we need in our community and beyond! Please feel free to share resources for engaging the climate crisis, or example of how you or your program has taken climate action this year during the week, tagging @carletoncollege and using #ClimateAction on social media.
