Earth Month
In collaboration with the Office of Sustainability, Grad Gov, GREEN, the Earth Commons is proud to present an array of activities that will not only inspire us to care for the planet, but also build community. From film festivals to poster competitions and even a retreat, there’s something for everyone to engage with and enjoy.
2026 Schedule of Events
Want to add your event to the Earth Month calendar? Get in touch with us!
- 3/16—Growing Roots Retreat. 9-1:30pm | HSFC Social Room. Join the Office of Sustainability for a day of environmental education, personal wellness, and social impact discussions. The retreat is open to all Georgetown students, faculty, staff, and alumni! RSVP now.
- 3/19 – Prince George’s Composting Facility Tour. 9-12pm. Join the Office of Sustainability for a half-day trip right outside of DC to tour where the university sends its compost! Transportation will be provided.
- 3/ 21 – DC Student Sustainability Leadership Summit. 1- 4pm. Join the Office of Sustainability for an afternoon of opportunities to connect with university students from around DC who are passionate about sustainability.
- 3/23—Her Shark Story Film Screening & Panel Discussion. 5-7pm | 125 E. Auditorium. Join the Earth Commons and DCEFF, the Environmental Film Festival of the Nation’s Capital, for a screening of Her Shark Story which takes us to the Galápagos Islands to explore whale shark research and ocean conservation in action. The film follows Sofia and her father, whale shark researcher Jonathan Green, whose long-term fieldwork has contributed to marine protection efforts and strengthened scientific understanding of this endangered species. Free with RSVP!
- 3/24 – Author Reading & Discussion: Ice’s End. 5-6pm | 111 Mass Room 7414. Patrick Reilly, L’23, will discuss his debut novel Ice’s End with Georgetown University Law Center Professor Lisa Heinzerling. Join us for a discussion of the environmental issues, history, and science that inspired Ice’s End, and storytelling’s role in solving today’s environmental challenges. Books will be available for sale and signing by the author. RSVP here.
- 3/27 – ECo Talks: Periodical Cicadas Disrupt Trophic Dynamics Through Community-level Shifts in Avian Foraging with Dr. Martha Weiss. 3-4pm | 111 Mass Room 7414. Join Dr. Weiss to learn how periodical cicadas—emerging every 13 or 17 years—reshape forest ecosystems. Their sudden abundance provides a major food source for birds, which reduces caterpillar predation and ultimately leads to more caterpillars and increased damage to oak saplings.
- 4/8—2026 Emergent Ethics Network Distinguished Lecture: Cristina Richie on How to Make Healthcare Environmentally Sustainable. 4pm | Copley Formal Lounge. Distinguished Lecture by Cristina Richie followed by panel discussion with Dr. Jason Farr, Earth Commons Institute and Kennedy Institute of Ethics.
- 4/8 – Empowerment through Green Spaces: Parks, Community, and Environmental Justice. 5-6pm | Leavey Program Room. Georgetown REUSE, in partnership with Washington Parks & People, the Earth Commons, and the Office of Sustainability, is hosting a panel on how green spaces can support healthier communities and advance environmental justice. Speakers from nonprofit, policy, and private sectors will share their perspectives.
- 4/9 – Energy & Policy Forum. 5-7pm | Lohrfink Auditorium. Join this #EnergizeGU event for a conversation on sustainability and energy efficiency policy challenges and practices at the university, within the District, and the nation. Industry professionals will share insight in a panel format. Food and career networking to follow.
- 4/10 – ECo Talks: The Myth of Access: Affordability, Perception, and the Reality of Infrastructure Equity with Dr. Ben Rachunok. 3-4pm | 111 Mass Room 7414. This talk examines how true access to water, energy, and food goes beyond distance and reliability. It explores affordability, perceptions, and preferences—highlighting water pricing impacts and new LLM-based research on food access in Raleigh.
- 4/12 Planting Party at the Hoya Harvest Garden. 11-1pm | Regents 4th Fl. Patio. Join us for our second planting party of the spring semester in collaboration with SAPE!
- 4/17 – ECo Talks: Resilience in the History of Climate Change: Lessons for the Future? with Dr. Dagomar Degroot. 3-4pm | 111 Mass Room 7414. Dr. Degroot will examine how today’s unprecedented global warming compares to past climate changes and how earlier societies responded. Drawing on the field of History of Climate and Society Studies, he will explore both crisis and resilience—and what these lessons could mean for our future.
- 4/17 – Spring Clean.10am-2pm | Harbin Patio. Get a head start on your moving out by donating items to the Spring Clean! All donations are sent to local nonprofit organizations in the DMV, including Georgetown’s very own REUSE. Clothing. household items, books, shoes, and more are accepted!
- 4/21 – The Oedipus Project: Climate Crisis. 7-9pm | Gaston Hall . Join the Earth Commons Institute, The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, and Theater of War Productions for a live dramatic reading of scenes from Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, culminating in a guided audience discussion–catalyzed and framed by the ancient play–about climate change, ethical leadership, and ecological justice. Through performance and conversation, we will confront urgent questions of leadership, truth, public health, and collective responsibility and consider what this ancient story reveals about caring for our Common Home today.
- 4/22 – Earth Day Festival! 1-3pm | Regents 4th Fl Patio. The Earth Commons invites you to come to celebrate Earth Day at the Hoya Harvest Garden. Enjoy food and drinks, music, art, crafts, campus groups and education opportunities, and plant your seedlings in our Hoya Harvest Garden! Save the date!
- 4/24 – Poster Symposium: Environment and Sustainability Management. 3-5pm | 111 Mass 8th Fl. Join Georgetown’s Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability Management (ESM) Program for an interdisciplinary, sustainability-focused poster session! RSVP now!
- 4/26 – Last Hoya Harvest Planting Party of the semester! 11-1pm | Regents 4th Fl. Patio. Join us for yoga, bagels, planting, and getting the garden ready for the summer season!
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Earth Month at Georgetown
The goal of Earth Month events is to foster awareness, education, and action around sustainability and environmental stewardship within the Georgetown community. Our aim is to inspire individuals to become actively engaged in building a greener, more sustainable campus and planet.
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