Greenfest is a semi-annual series held on the campus of UNC Asheville in March and September that celebrates sustainability, students and community. If you are interested in helping with the planning and development of Greenfest projects and events, please contact us! We are always excited to meet old and new friends happy to lend a hand.
All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Spring Greenfest is brought to you by the Office of Sustainability, the Student Environmental Center, and the many co-sponsors listed below.
Fall Greenfest 2020:
We are excited to be hosting Greenfest again this Fall! We are adapting some of our programs to comply with public health and safety guidelines. Stay tuned for program and event updates.
Before the Fun Starts Join the “Celebrate Your Food Social Media Campaign”
Celebrate Your Food SEC Tik Tok Challenge: Students can DM their videos to the SEC instagram (@unca_sec) and show how they celebrate their food (any food/sustainability related topics & its intersections are OK) Videos will be posted on the SEC Tik Tok page, and the best video will get a free basket of goodies! Submit videos by September 20th!
Week-long events
Meet Your Farmer: Meet Your Farmer profiles are a shoutout to the people that work so hard to provide Brown Dining Hall with fresh local ingredients! For every day of Greenfest there will be a new Farmer profile put up in Brown Hall. Keep an eye out for these farmer profiles!
“Step Outside” Explore, Plant, Grow Greenfest Book Display in Ramsey Library: This event is going on all week. See library website for more details!
Tree Campus Bingo: UNC Asheville is a certified Tree Campus. Celebrate the university’s beautiful and diverse urban forest by playing Tree Bingo. How to play: 1) Check out the Bingo Card, 2) Take a stroll and take pictures of the bingo squares, 3) Upload your photos to the Google Form, 4) Be entered to win. The winner will receive a Tree ID book. Prize must be picked up on campus. All entries must be submitted here, before 5pm on Friday, September 25th.
Monday September 21st:
Volunteering at Estes Elementary School Community Garden: Volunteer at Estes Elementary School Community Garden from 10am – 12pm, and learn about Bountiful Cities, an outstanding organization devoted to sustainable urban agriculture and food sovereignty in Asheville! Sign up here
SEC Garden Work Day: Volunteer from 11:30am – 1:30 pm at Sol or from 5:00pm – 7:00pm at Roots to work in the gardens around UNC Asheville with the presence of the garden manager. Usual tasks can range from planting, weeding, to clearing out overgrown areas. Additionally, there are also more long term projects being done at each garden. If there are students who are particularly interested in planting certain vegetables (usually with more permanent care) they are always free to email us with any questions or ideas at sec@unca.edu.
Leave No Trace Yoga: Join Campus Rec at the Intramural Field for an outdoor yoga practice from 6:45pm – 8:00pm, where we’ll be intentional about not leaving behind a footprint in the natural world.
Tuesday, September 22nd:
Castanea Plant Share: Drop by Castanea to pick up potted plants (and some history and uses) from Castanea from 11:00am – 1:30pm. Sochan, maypop, and others will be up for offer. There will also be a sliding scale. If you are able, ask to contribute some money in solidarity with BIPOC farms and growers in WNC!
SEC Garden Work Day: Volunteer from 11:00am – 1:30pm in Castanea to work in the gardens around UNC Asheville with the presence of the garden manager. Usual tasks can range from planting, weeding, to clearing out overgrown areas. Additionally, there are also more long term projects being done at each garden. If there are students who are particularly interested in planting certain vegetables (usually with more permanent care) they are always free to email us with any questions or ideas at sec@unca.edu.
Food distribution with the Food Equity Initiative: Attend our weekly free market at the Glass House with all the non-perishable foods you can carry. Event will be going on from 12pm – 1pm!
Greet The Green Candidates: Come stop by our table on the Quad from 3pm – 6pm to hear about the environmental candidates endorsed by the Sierra Club, and pick up some buttons while you’re at it!
Wednesday, September 23rd:
On Campus Work Day: Join Campus Operations as we roll up our sleeves to beautify our campus. Volunteers shifts start every hour on the hour from 10am-5pm. Meet in front of Brown Hall at the beginning of your shift to get your tasks. Wear closed-toe shoes and clothes that can get dirty. Bring water and work gloves if you have them. Registration.
SEC Garden Work Day: Volunteer from 4:00pm – 6:00pm at Castanea to work in the gardens around UNC Asheville with the presence of the garden manager. Usual tasks can range from planting, weeding, to clearing out overgrown areas. Additionally, there are also more long term projects being done at each garden. If there are students who are particularly interested in planting certain vegetables (usually with more permanent care) they are always free to email us with any questions or ideas at sec@unca.edu.
Building an Unconventional Path in the Environmental Profession: Navigating Race, Gender, and Immigration Status: Learn about Sapna Mulki’s environmental career path, including pursuing a masters degree, starting her own business, launching a podcast (check out “Breaking Green Ceilings”!), and facing challenges in the workplace. Register Here for the virtual event from 6pm – 7pm!
Outdoor Programs Sunset Hike: Get outside and explore the beautiful trails that campus has to offer. Learn about the principles of Leave No Trace, how to recreate sustainably, and meet new friends! The walk will end up at the Observatory, where you can get the best possible view of the sunset. Meet at the Bulldog Statue by the Student Recreation Center at 6:45pm to enjoy the hour’s hike! Register under “Fitness and Lab Swim”. **Note: Close-toed shoes are required**
Thursday, September 24th:
Tree Campus Tour: Join knowledgeable Grounds staff from 12:00pm – 1:00pm on a walking tour of the UNC Asheville campus. Learn about our campus’s trees, the ecological services those trees provide, and what makes UNC Asheville a certified Tree Campus. Meet in Mullen Park.
SEC Garden Work Day: Volunteer from 2:00pm – 4:00pm at Sol to work in the gardens around UNC Asheville with the presence of the garden manager. Usual tasks can range from planting, weeding, to clearing out overgrown areas. Additionally, there are also more long term projects being done at each garden. If there are students who are particularly interested in planting certain vegetables (usually with more permanent care) they are always free to email us with any questions or ideas at sec@unca.edu.
Nature Poetry Night: Join us from 5:30pm – 6:30pm for a night of reading and writing about the wonders of the natural world. We’ll give you time and space to write during the workshop and the option to share at the end. All levels welcome! Pre-register here to participate.
Intersectional Environmentalism: A Virtual Living Room Conversation: Come join this virtual discussion from 7:00pm – 8:30pm for supportive dialogue between students around the intersection of identity and environmentalism. The goal of this conversation is to find connection despite difference and to facilitate understanding through the sharing of personal experiences. Register here to receive the Zoom link
Friday, September 25th:
Audubon Club Bird Walk: From 8:30am – 9:30am join the Audubon Club for a campus bird walk (registration limited to 10). We will meet at Mullen Park. Register by emailing uncaaudubon@unca.edu.
Fair Trade Tea Tasting: From 11:30 – 1:30 at Reed Plaza, UNCA Fair Trade Committee + 3 Mountains Tea will be sharing a delicious locally-made, fair trade beverage and why supporting fair trade is so important! Stop by and enter our fair trade raffle!
SEC Garden Work Day: Volunteer from 5:00pm – 7:00pm at Roots to work in the gardens around UNC Asheville with the presence of the garden manager. Usual tasks can range from planting, weeding, to clearing out overgrown areas. Additionally, there are also more long term projects being done at each garden. If there are students who are particularly interested in planting certain vegetables (usually with more permanent care) they are always free to email us with any questions or ideas at sec@unca.edu.
Screening of The Condor and The Eagle: Join us at 5:30pm for the virtual viewing of The Condor and The Eagle, a film about BIPOC communities’ resistance to fossil fuel infrastructure projects across the Americas. Registration link coming soon!
Saturday, September 26th:
Volunteer at Shiloh Community Garden:Volunteer at Shiloh Community Garden from 10am – 12pm, and learn about Bountiful Cities, an outstanding organization devoted to sustainable urban agriculture and food sovereignty in Asheville! This garden is a project of the Shiloh Community Association whose mission is to promote community vitality through housing development. The garden is located at 59 Hampton Road Asheville, NC 28803. Sign up here!