Compost Champion
All Semester Long
Want to take meaningful action to help our campus and the environment? Join Marlins Go Green and become a Compost Champion! Support our composting program by learning how to turn everyday food scraps into nutrient-rich soil that helps our campus garden thrive. Sign up here.
Buggin' with Buttons
Tuesday, April 22 · 11 AM – 1 PM · Harbor Grill
We don't mean to bug, but will you come make a button? Make or take a button with Thirst Project logos and messages, or Earth Day related designs. This event is to remind you all about our upcoming Walk for Water, and to commemorate Earth Day. Having access to water is an environmental justice issue!
All About Ecotherapy
Tuesday, April 22 · 11 AM – 1 PM · Harbor Grill
Join us with the Norfolk Public Library for an interactive event exploring the many forms of ecotherapy and how climate change impacts mental health. From walk-and-talk therapy to animal-assisted interventions to the science of ecopsychology, discover evidence-based ways nature supports emotional well-being.
Find out which approach resonates with you, and learn how you can get involved in nature-based therapeutic opportunities right here on campus!
Hosted by VWU Department of Counseling and Student Health
Campus Clean Up
Tuesday, April 22 · 1 PM · Meet in Hofheimer Library
Join fellow volunteers in helping to beautify our campus! During this campus clean-up, we'll work together to pick up litter, recycle materials, and clear debris from common areas, walkways, and green spaces. Gloves, trash bags, and necessary supplies will be provided. This is a great opportunity to give back to the community, meet new people, and take pride in our shared environment. Please wear comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes.
Hosted by VWU Wesleyan Engaged
Community Garden
Tuesday, April 22 · 3 PM · Community Garden - Good Samaritan Episcopal Church
Get your hands dirty and make a difference in our Community Garden! Volunteers will assist with planting new crops, weeding garden beds, and harvesting ripe produce. No gardening experience necessary—just bring your enthusiasm and willingness to help! All tools and gloves will be provided. Please wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and bring a reusable water bottle. This is a rewarding way to connect with nature, support local sustainability, and learn a few gardening tips along the way!
Hosted by VWU Campus Ministries and Wesleyan Engaged
Climate and Crisis: Preparing Physicians
Thursday, April 24 · 12:00 – 12:50 PM · Brock Commons
Unpredictable hurricanes and tornadoes, unprecedented levels of rain and flooding, rising water levels along the coast, and “once-in-a-lifetime” record-setting temperatures (occurring repeatedly) seem like the new normal. Climate changes result in disease-carrying pests, disrupted crop cycles, and more death from malaria, heat stress, and other diseases. Increasingly medical professionals need to be experts on climate and health.
As an emergency-medicine physician, Aaron Hultgren has been at the front line in many situations involving health care. At Bellevue Hospital in NYC, he was on the front line of the fight against COVID. In this talk, he shares the importance of physicians being climate informed as the changing world shapes how we need to address new medical issues.
Aaron Hultgren, MD, MAT, MPH, DCM, FAWM, as the son of VWU Philosophy Professor Emeritus Larry Hultgren, grew up on the Virginia Wesleyan campus and completed a degree in Philosophy at Swarthmore College. He earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from Brown University and taught elementary school before attending Georgetown University School of Medicine. He completed his emergency medicine residency training at NYU and Bellevue Hospital and went on to complete an International Emergency Medicine fellowship at Columbia University. During this time he earned a Masters in Public Health at the Mailman School of Public and worked on strengthening emergency medicine systems in Ghana. He is an assistant professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, serves as a faculty advisor in the Violet Society Program and works clinically in the emergency department at Bellevue Hospital Center. He is a core faculty member for the NYUGSOM/Bellevue emergency medicine residency program leading the Climate Medicine and Global Health Scholarly Academy. He is a Fellow in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine and most recently earned a Diploma in Climate Medicine with the Climate and Health Program at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. His interests include global health, climate medicine, strokes and wildfires, and rock climbing injuries.
Sponsored in partnership with the VWU Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Marlins Go Green Student Organization
Thirst Project Walk for Water
Thursday, April 24 · 1:30 – 3:30 PM · University Lawn
Every lap you walk makes a difference! Join the Thirst Project at VWU for Walk for Water, an event supporting the Thirst Project’s mission to provide clean water access to five families for life. Bring your friends, wear comfortable shoes, and walk with purpose.
Arbor Day Celebration
Friday, April 25 · 12:45 PM
Join us for a Tree Campus recognition ceremony featuring Heather Gargano, Urban & Community Forestry Specialist at the Virginia Department of Forestry, and VWU President Dr. Scott D. Miller. Trees will be planted to honor the 2025 Distinguished Graduates in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Management, followed by an Invasive Species Removal activity. Come celebrate, plant, and preserve with us!
Bob’s Birthday Bash with Earth Week Activities
Friday, April 25 · 4 – 7 PM · Harbor Grill
Marlins Go Green will be hosting an Earth Week Corner at Bob's Birthday Bash on April 25th between 4PM-7PM on the University Lawn. There will be environment centered activities and snacks in collaboration with other student organizations including: Marlin Fishing Club, Gamma Sigma Epsilon, Student Government Association, and Students Against Continued Homelessness.
Bob's Birthday Bash is hosted by Off the Hook.