By Leslie Bothwell (ArtSci ’14)
Contributor

This week brings us the first-ever Queen’s Greenfest. The event allows several environmental clubs on campus to host an array of events across campus (see schedule online for details), and an opportunity for participants to win prizes.

“It’s great to see such a diversity of groups working towards sustainability at Queen’s,” Tracy Guptill, one of the organizers of the event told me. “The result is that Greenfest has so many different kinds of events, there’s genuinely something for everyone. The students in the MES program are already getting ready for the clothing swap on Thursday,” she said.

The week takes off today and is broken down into five themed days: Energy and Climate, Waste, Food and Water, Transportation, and a medley on Friday. Wanting to learn a little bit more about Greenfest, I managed to sneak into the Right Direction Forum – a Forum filled with leaders of many environmental groups on campus.

In the final crunch of preparing for Greenfest, I could see the effort, passion and enthusiasm of the green club leaders and their committees. I realized that the event is more than just ‘being environmentally friendly’; the week is about Queen’s being a part of a larger movement towards a culture of community, local sustainability, global awareness and action.

The week combines elements of learning (through some fantastic documentaries such as a feature on urbanization), a Water Conference Wednesday night, a bike workshop and a clothing swap to name a few.

Here’s a few events I think I am going to check out:

Switch, Monday night (6-8 p.m.), Ellis Auditorium

Documentary on changing energy sources in today’s world (exploring fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables).

The Water Conference, Wednesday night (7-9p.m.) Dupuis Auditorium
The conference will feature panel discussions from Professors Steven Moore and Erin Murphy-Mills on water sustainability, wastewater management in Canada, and documentary films on water supply in the Global South. The night will also include group discussions and some free drinks and snacks.

Clothing Swap, Thursday afternoon (10 a.m.-5 p.m.), Queen’s Centre
Get rid of some of the things you never wear, and pick up something new. Who knew ‘reduce-reuse-recycle’ could land you with a fantastic new clothing item in exchange for your nice but never-worns.

Info Fair, Friday afternoon (10 a.m.-2 p.m.), Wallace Hall
A fair featuring all of Queen’s green clubs and initiatives.

Mark these events down in your calendar: