Activities Abound at UAlbany Family Earth Day

Capital Region students and families invited to learn about the atmosphere, environmental science and sustainability at April 17 event

UAlbany hosts the 4th annual Family Earth Day on April 17. (Paul Buckowski, Times Union photo used by permission)

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 23, 2016) -- The University at Albany is hosting its 4th annual Family Earth Day, April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. in University Hall. The event, which is geared toward children and families, offers a wide range of activities to appeal to a broad youth audience, including a land-planning challenge; composting station; glaciers: then and now visual; arctic creatures mobiles, and a traveling nitrogen game, where students learn how clouds are formed.

Among the featured activities will be a weather balloon launch and sheepherding demonstrations on Collins Circle, as well as tours of the University's solar observatory.

The University will also showcase the New York State Mesonet system, an early warning detection system currently under construction at sites throughout New York. When completed, the system will feature a network of 125 weather stations across the state, with at least one site in every county. Each site will measure temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, pressure, radiation, and soil information. All data will be collected, archived, and processed in real-time, feeding weather prediction models and decision-support tools for users across the greater New York region.

The U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has recognized the University at Albany as a 'Workplace Charging Challenge Partner.'

The event is free and open to the public. Parking is available in the Student Gold Lot at State Quad.

Family Earth Day is sponsored by the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, the Office of Environmental Sustainability, the Division for Research, the Atmospheric Science Research Center, New York State Mesonet, University Auxiliary Services, and the University’s Sustainability Graduate Student Organization.

Family Earth Day is just one of several initiatives highlighting UAlbany’s commitment to sustainable practices. Among accolades received and new initiatives begun by the University are:

• Being recognized by the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy as a "Workplace Charging Challenge Partner." The Office of Environmental Sustainability and the Office of Parking & Mass Transit Services are committed to sustainability and alternative transportation. Currently, the University has two dual-port charging stations. UAlbany is also looking to install at least one more charging station within the next two years at its main athletic facility. Additionally, UAlbany uses several alternative fuel vehicles for daily tasks and transport, both on and off campus, and offers active bike and car share programs.
• Earning a gold rating following the completion of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). The certification, as recognized by the Association for the Advancement for Sustainability in Higher Education, further demonstrates UAlbany’s commitment to sustainability.
• Undertaking a green workspace challenge, a self-reporting framework for faculty and staff to make their workplaces more sustainable while gaining recognition for their progress. The self-assessment tool guides faculty and staff through a wide range of sustainable practices relating to waste, energy, procurement, transportation, meetings, kitchens and campus engagement. A workspace may also pursue “innovations points” to earn recognition for practices that are not listed in the self-assessment tool. The challenge is designed to engage the full spectrum of offices on campus.

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