Past Events

2017-2018

  • Earth Day Spring Fling:  Earth Day Spring Fling 2018 and Arbor Day 2018 both took place on Fairfield Way on April 18th. EcoHusky brought back the Clothing Swap after taking 2017 off.
  • Yale Law Conferece: EcoHuskies attended the New Directions in Environmental Law conference at Yale University. This year's theme was Centering Justice, with keynote speakers Varshini Prakash, Eddie Bautista, and Mustafa Ali. 
  • Stop the Drop: EcoHuskies helped install stickers in bathrooms across campus to remind people to report broken or leaking water features to help conserve water. 
  • Recycling Patrol: EcoHuskies help Facilities Operations keep track of which buildings had properly coupled recycling bins and which needed to be modified or updated. 
  • Green Game Days: EcoHuskies participated in all three green game days, collecting over 1,000 bottles at Basketball carbon-free Green Game Days! 
  • Hartford Marathon: EcoHusky traveled once again to Hartford for the Annual ING Hartford Marathon. The group volunteered to promote composting and recycling practices among the public.

2016-2017

  • Earth Day Spring Fling:  For EDSF 2017 and Arbor Day 2017, EcoHusky switched things up by 
  • Yale Law Conferece: EcoHuskies attended the Annual Law Conference at Yale University to learn about environmental policy making and economics, especially in a military setting. 
  • HEEP Trail Cleanup: EcoHuskies went on a hike in the HEEP to collect litter on Parent's Weekend! 
  • Green Game Days: Green Game Day 2017 was the first ever Carbon-free Basketball game hosted at Gampel, thanks to UConn's Campus Sustainability Fund and the Office of Environmental Policy. EcoHuskies participated in all three green game days, including football! 
  • Hartford Marathon: EcoHusky traveled once again to Hartford for the Annual ING Hartford Marathon. The group volunteered to promote composting and recycling practices among the public.

2015-2016

  • Earth Day Spring Fling:  Earth Day Spring Fling 2015 took place on Fairfield Way and focused on Zero Waste (clothing swap)
  • Campus Sustainability Week: The Office of Environmental Policy (find Rose's Calendar).
  • Yale:
  • Food Waste Study: EcoHuskies collected 256 pounds of food waste and 135 pounds of liquid waste from students in Putnam dining hall over a 4-day period before the renovation. EcoHusky plans to carry out a second food waste study in Putnam dining hall after the renovation has been completed.
  • Volunteering at the HEEP:
  • Repair Cafe: EcoHusky invited guests ___, ___, and ____ from Willimantic's Repair Cafe to present about their monthly volunteer work. Repair Cafe is a nationwide organization where volunteers come together to teach communities how to repair their own possessions instead of throwing them away when they are damaged.
  • Hartford Marathon: EcoHusky traveled once again to Hartford for the Annual ING Hartford Marathon. The group volunteered to promote composting and recycling practices among the public.

2014-2015

  • Earth Day Spring Fling:  Earth Day Spring Fling 2014 was an all around success. EcoHusky had both an informational table and a Clothing Swap table, which occurred for three days leading up to EDSF.
  • Clothing Swap: EcoHusky hosted their first annual Clothing Swap for three days. The event allowed for people to swap out their own clothing for someone else's used clothing.
  • Hike with Joshua's Trust: Several EcoHusky members met with Joshua's Trust staff to create trail markers and help with other trail maintenance on two separate trips.
  • Hartford Marathon: At the ING Hartford Marathon, EcoHusky "manned the can" and promoting recycling and composting initiatives with the attendees and runners of the Hartford Marathon.
  • Yale:
  • Food Waste Study: EcoHuskies collected 660 pounds of food waste from students in South dining hall during dinner over a 4-day period.
  • Volunteering at the HEEP:
  • Big Buddies: For the third year, EcoHusky teamed up with Campus Big Buddies, a program run through UConn Community Outreach, to teach local elementary schools about the environment.

2013-2014

  • Earth Day Spring Fling:  The theme of Earth Day Spring Fling 2014 was recycling. Students played recycling games to test how well they understood mixed recycling and finalists for the Recyclable Art Competition presented their pieces so a winner could be voted in. Ecohusky members volunteered to run these events and "man-the-can" to direct attendees on proper composting and recycling.
  • Campus Sustainability Day: The Office of Environmental Policy held a movie showing of Disney's Wall-E that demonstrates how anthropogenic behavior is leading to environmental destruction. EcoHuskies tabled before the movie along with several other organizations to describe the sustainable initiatives and programs that won UConn the #1 Sierra Club Cool Schools ranking.
  • Hike with Joshua's Trust: Ecohusky partnered with Joshua's trust for a hike through Dunham Woods. Doug Hughes and Ted Taigen, two UConn EEB professors, led the guided walk, provided insightful information about the history of the land, and pointed out interesting ecological features.
  • ING Hartford Marathon: EcoHusky volunteers attended the ING Hartford Marathon to help assist the general public with composting and gain exposure for UConn's sustainability intitiatives. Student volunteers held a booth to educate runners about UConn's single stream program and our Sierra Coolest School ranking.
  • Girl Scout Journey Day: On Girl Scout Journey Day, EcoHusky members partnered with a community service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega to host a "Leadership Journey" The theme of this particular journey was "It's Your Planet, Love It!" Officers conducted 3 focus groups, each for a different environmental topic. For example, the composting and biodegradability section orgranized a game where Girl Scouts guessed how long common household items take to biodegrade.
  • Food Waste Study: Student volunteers did a food waste study to collect data on how much food students throw out in dining halls as well as to make students more aware of their waste habits. This year, EcoHusky studied Whitney and North dining halls which had an average of 1.4 oz. and 2.3 oz. wasted per person, respectively. In the future, members hope to start a marketing campaign promoting less food waste.
  • Volunteering at the HEEP: Chris Mason, a wildlife scientist, partnered with EcoHusky to help members get a special look at the HEEP trail and its various plant and animal species. Students were able to hike around the natural trails and even got to see a beaver with his dam in the spring.
  • Big Buddies: For the second year, EcoHusky teamed up with Campus Big Buddies, a program run through UConn Community Outreach, to teach local elementary schools about the environment. Young students learned about current environmental issues through a fun jeopardy game and also took home information about how to go green every day!
  • Recyclable Art Competition: Ecohusky worked together to promote and create a competition for students to create artwork out of previously used and/or recyclable materials.

2012-2013

  • Food Waste Study:  Volunteers set up stations in North and McMahon to collect food scraps, quantify the average amount each student wastes in a given meal, and promote smarter eating. Students were encouraged to take smaller portions. Two studies were done in the fall and one was completed in the spring.
  • Water Conservation Outreach: Posters were hung in the gym locker rooms with a message of taking shorter showers in an effort to help promote water conservation.
  • Hillside Environmental Education Park: Volunteers assisted in trail cleanup and maintenance to preserve UConn’s HEEP.
  • Flow: A documentary on the global water crisis was shown as an Honors event.
  • Campus Sustainability Day: EcoHusky collaborated with various other environmentally focused groups on campus to table out on Fairfield Way and promote UConn’s sustainable initiatives.  
  • Green Game Day: EcoHusky volunteers attended two UConn basketball games and a football game and cleaned up recyclables to promote recycling at athletic events.
  • Earth Day Spring Fling: EcoHusky tabled out on Fairfield way as part of UConn’s largest environmental awareness celebration.
  • Big Buddies: EcoHusky partnered with Campus Big Buddies to celebrate Earth Day with the elementary students from the Windham Heights Housing Complex. Volunteers brought along eco-themed board games to educate the students on climate change, air pollution, and other environmental topics.
  • Single Stream Recycling Outreach: Volunteers attended large lecture hall classes and gave brief presentations explaining what single stream is and why it is important.
  • 5k: EcoHusky partnered with Recreational Services to host its annual 5k. The event featured environmental trivia and the course was set on the scenic route along Horse Barn Hill. Proceeds went to the EcoHusky Student Group to help fund future events.

2009-2010

  • BE HEARD Coffee House: Students joined to write letters to administrators addressing environmental concerns including establishing an Environmental Studies B.A., planting more trees on campus, and making the campus more bicycle-friendly.
  • 350 Rally: This rally was part of a global initiative to spread awareness about the need to lower carbon emissions to reach the goal of 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
  • Green Game Days: In an effort to promote recycling at athletic events, volunteers hand out recycling bags, answer questions, and clean up recyclables after the game.
  • EcoHusky 5K Road Race: Ecohusky's 5th Annual 5K Road race included over 90 participants running a scenic route along Horse Barn Hill at UCONN, while also contributing to the Ecohusky Student Group and the Green Campus Fund!
  • Earth Day Spring Fling: The celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day included Mount Sneaker which is a truckload of donated sneakers, eco-friendly vendors sharing their products, free bicycle tune-ups and many other activities!

2008-2009

  • Student Climate Action Summit: Students attended a 'student summit' in the Storrs campus Student Union to discuss the University's commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 and to strategize solutions.
  • PowerShift 2009: Power Shift, the national youth summit on climate change, was attended in 2009 by an energetic group of EcoHuskies, OEP Interns, and PIRG members.
  • EcoHusky 5K Road Race: Ecohusky's 4th Annual 5K Road race included over 120 participants running a scenic route along Horse Barn Hill at UCONN, while also contributing to the Ecohusky Student Group and the Green Campus Fund!
  • Earth Day Spring Fling 2009: This celebration of sustainability included Mount Sneaker which is a truckload of donated sneakers, eco-friendly vendors sharing their products and knowledge and many activities and student involvement!

2007-2008

  • Apple Picking: What happens when you mix EcoHuskies & apples? Shenanigans, of course.
  • Power Shift 2007: Power Shift, the national youth summit on climate change, was attended in 2007 by an energetic group of EcoHuskies, OEP Interns, and PIRG members.
  • EcoHusky 5000: 112 runners and 50 walkers took part in the EcoHusky 5000 after which all proceeds, with matching donations from Willimantic Waste, went to the Green Campus Fund.
  • Earth Day 2008: This celebration of sustainability included Mount Sneaker which is a truckload of donated sneakers, eco-friendly vendors sharing their products and knowledge and many activities and student involvement!

2006-2007

  • CFL Giveaway: Ecohuskies teamed up with the UConn Co-Op and Connecticut Light & Power to hold a CFL giveaway for incoming freshmen. Nearly 3000 bulbs were distributed!
  • Involvement Fair: OEP Interns and EcoHusky members recruited new EcoHuskies!
  • An Inconvenient Truth: The Office of Environmental Policy and SUBOG teamed up to sponsor a free showing of "An Inconvenient Truth". Attendees could participate in a 4 question quiz about global warming before the showing.
  • Cornucopia Fest: OEP Interns worked a booth which had informative displays about the process and benefits of producing biodiesel fuel in addition to a demonstration. 
  • Towers Raingarden Renovations: OEP staff and interns teamed up with University staff to mulch the Towers Rain Garden and construct a peastone walkway for students passing through the garden area. 
  • Earth Kindness Day: Earth Kindness Day was aimed at raising awareness about environmental student groups as well sustainability initiatives on campus by featuringthe production of biodiesel fuel from waste cooking oil.
  • Biofuels Symposium: Students learn what goes into and what comes from creating biodiesel and how the university is utilizing it.
  • EcoHusky 5000 Road Race: 80 runners and raised over $500 to be put towards environmental initiatives on the UConn campus including purchasing on-campus can redemption machines or retro-fitting a bus stop with solar panels.
  • Environmental Leadership Awards Breakfast: Students and faculty are recognized for their contributions to the environment and the university.

2005-2006

  • Ecohusky 5000 5K Road Race: The first annual EcoHusky 5K road race/1.5 mile walk around scenic Horsebarn Hill
  • Earth Day 2006: The celebration was extensive and marked by such activities as the 2nd annual Mt. Sneaker, the "green machine" fuel-efficient and alternative vehicle display, and displays on the new campus recycling program.
  • Campus Bike Plan Support Ride: Demonstration for UConn's need for a safe, convenient bicycle network for travel on campus and to local destinations as well as a need for bike lanes, signage, and storage racks.
  • Trail Marking Project: EcoHusky Students and members of the Soil & Water Conservation Society teamed up to build several markers for the trailheads of the Fenton tract of the UConn Forest.
  • Mug Day: Bookworms staff and EcoHuskies encouraged patrons to purchase a reusable mug to help reduce waste paper from future coffee purchases.

2004-2005

  • Biodiesel Demonstration: Using a B-20 biodiesel blend, one of the University's shuttle buses carried University President Philip E. Austin and others from North Hillside Road to the Depot Campus.
  • Storm Drain Marking: Students walked around campus marking storm drains with plaques reminding those passing for years to come not to litter because ultimately it will end up in the Long Island Sound.
  • Fenton River Cleanup: Students participated in a cleanup day at the Fenton River where they pulled trash fom one of the university's water supply sources.
  • Earth Day 2005: UConn celebrated Earth Day by “pulling the plug” on traditional fossil-fuel based energy sources through a day of near-zero emissions events and raising awareness of clean energy options.
  • Rain Garden Planting: The Office of Environmental Policy enlisted the help of several students, staff, and faculty members to re-plant the Towers Rain Garden.
  • Willimantic River Cleanup: Students traveled to downtown Willimantic to participate in a cleanup project organized by the Willimantic Whitewater Partnership.
  • Spring Move Out: Students organized a “Move Out” campaign resulting in the donation of over 2500 lbs. of clothing, goods and non-perishable food that otherwise would have entered the trash stream.
  • The Day After Tomorrow: The OEP co-sponsored the Student Union's showing of The Day After Tomorrow.
  • Vernal Pool Study: Students worked to determine the presence of a vernal pool within the North Campus Road extension project and to collect information regarding the potential impacts of the proposed project on this wetland.