Springfest 2023
2023 marks the first year of Springfest at Western! Springfest is a month-long series of events celebrating the Western Environment & Sustainability Network. The network includes nearly 30 different student-facing clubs and groups on campus. These groups have banded together, with support from Western Sustainability, to develop a network which meets regularly to build connections and collaborations amongst the groups, hold dialogue about Western's sustainability initiatives and student perspectives, and to raise awareness of student-facing sustainability opportunities.
The network has hosted a Sustainability Fair each fall for the past two years, and is now expanding to a collaborative Springfest to close out the academic year. Many of the network groups were planning for individual end-of-year events already. Through network meetings the group decided to bring their various events together under the umbrella of Springfest, as a way to celebrate the Western Environment & Sustainability Network!
Springfest Events
March 1 - FRESH Cooking Demonstration in Perth Dining Hall
Join FRESH from 5:15 - 7:15pm for a live cooking demonstration teaching about nutritious, easy meals. FRESH is a comprehensive peer nutrition education program in partnership with Brescia's Food and Nutrition program and Western's Hospitality Services. FRESH aims to increase awareness, improve knowledge, build skills, and influence the campus food environment. Follow FRESH Instagram for more information.
March 6-10 - SDG Week Canada
SDG Week Canada is a national collaboration that increases awareness and engagement with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on university and college campuses.
During the week, join Western Sustainability for some drop-in trivia at the Community Corner in Weldon Library or take part in a beeswax wrap workshop, offered through the Sustainable Workplace Ambassadors Program (SWAP)!
Learn more about Western’s SDG initiatives!
March 6 - FRESH Plant-Based Product Sampling in Saugeen Maitland Dining Hall
Join FRESH from 5:15 - 7:15pm for free plant-based product sampling including vegan yogurt, cheese, sausages and burgers. FRESH is a comprehensive peer nutrition education program in partnership with Brescia's Food and Nutrition program and Western's Hospitality Services. FRESH aims to increase awareness, improve knowledge, build skills, and influence the campus food environment. Follow FRESH Instagram for more information.
March 7 - SDG Trivia in Weldon Community Corner
Drop in anytime from 1:00 - 3:00pm to visit Western Sustainability in the Weldon Community Corner (main floor, outside elevators) for some trivia related to Western's actions to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). All members of the campus community are invited to visit and play trivia for prizes! Learn more here.
March 8 - SDG Trivia in Weldon Community Corner
Drop in anytime from 1:00 - 3:00pm to visit Western Sustainability in the Weldon Community Corner (main floor, outside elevators) for some trivia related to Western's actions to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). All members of the campus community are invited to visit and play trivia for prizes! Learn more here.
March 8 - FRESH Cooking Demonstration in Elgin Dining Hall
Join FRESH from 5:15 - 7:15pm for a live cooking demonstration teaching about nutritious, easy meals. FRESH is a comprehensive peer nutrition education program in partnership with Brescia's Food and Nutrition program and Western's Hospitality Services. FRESH aims to increase awareness, improve knowledge, build skills, and influence the campus food environment. Follow FRESH Instagram for more information.
March 9 - EnviroSynBio Sticker Fundraiser
Stop by anytime on March 9 from 10am - 1pm for the EnviroSynBio sticker fundraiser at Taylor Library Community Corner! Help support our club's mission to promote environmentally sustainable solutions using synthetic biology through events on campus. These high quality stickers are trendy and perfect for laptops, water bottles, and more! Follow EnviroSynBio Instagram for more information.
March 13 - FRESH Plant-Based Product Sampling in Sydenham Dining Hall
Join FRESH from 5:15 - 7:15pm for free plant-based product sampling including vegan yogurt, cheese, sausages and burgers. FRESH is a comprehensive peer nutrition education program in partnership with Brescia's Food and Nutrition program and Western's Hospitality Services. FRESH aims to increase awareness, improve knowledge, build skills, and influence the campus food environment. Follow FRESH Instagram for more information.
March 13 - WaterAid Movie Night
WaterAid will be screening two episodes of Netflix's Our Universe in the McKellar Room theatre from 6:30 - 8:30pm. Admission is $3 to raise money for WaterAid and free snacks will be provided! Follow WaterAid on Instagram for more information.
March 14 - EnviroSynBio Sticker Fundraiser
Stop by anytime on March 9 from 10am - 1pm for the EnviroSynBio sticker fundraiser at Weldon Library Community Corner! Help support our club's mission to promote environmentally sustainable solutions using synthetic biology through events on campus. These high quality stickers are trendy and perfect for laptops, water bottles, and more! Follow EnviroSynBio Instagram for more information.
March 15 - FRESH Cooking Demonstration in Essex Dining Hall
Join FRESH from 5:15 - 7:15pm for a live cooking demonstration teaching about nutritious, easy meals. FRESH is a comprehensive peer nutrition education program in partnership with Brescia's Food and Nutrition program and Western's Hospitality Services. FRESH aims to increase awareness, improve knowledge, build skills, and influence the campus food environment. Follow FRESH Instagram for more information.
March 19 - Spring Clean-up with WSLP and Student Energy
Join the Western Sustainable Leaders Program and Student Energy for a collaborative campus Spring Community Clean-up! Meet at Western's main gates at 11:00am and help clean up litter that often surfaces with the warmer weather. Supplies will be provided. Follow the WSLP and Student Energy Instagram's for more information.
March 20 - FRESH Plant-Based Product Sampling in Ontario Dining Hall
Join FRESH from 5:15 - 7:15pm for free plant-based product sampling including vegan yogurt, cheese, sausages and burgers. FRESH is a comprehensive peer nutrition education program in partnership with Brescia's Food and Nutrition program and Western's Hospitality Services. FRESH aims to increase awareness, improve knowledge, build skills, and influence the campus food environment. Follow FRESH Instagram for more information.
March 21 - Spring Equinox Seed Giveaway
Celebrate the Spring Equinox by dropping in anytime from 1:00 - 3:00pm to visit Western Sustainability in the Weldon Community Corner (main floor, outside elevators) to pick up some FREE SEEDS to grow your own vegetables this season. All seeds will be relatively easy-to-grow options that can survive in pots so you can grow on a balcony, front stoop, or even try indoors by a sunny window.
March 24 - EnviroCon "Intercultural Dialogue on Environment and Sustainability"
EnviroCon is an interdisciplinary conference organized every year by graduate students in the Collaborative Specialization in Environment and Sustainability at the Centre for Environment and Sustainability. EnviroCon 2023 will provide a forum for a broad range of topics in the Sciences, Humanities, Engineering, Social Sciences, Business, Policy, and Management. The conference is FREE to attend and participate in. This event aims to bring together the knowledge and research of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and community members involved in environment and sustainability. Learn more here.
March 25 - WaterAid Sustainability Conference
A full day of interactive keynote speaker talks, discussion panels, and workshops related to sustainability! Free to attend and lunch will be provided. Location TBA. Follow WaterAid on Instagram for more information.
March 27 - FRESH Plant-Based Product Sampling in Delaware Dining Hall
Join FRESH from 5:15 - 7:15pm for free plant-based product sampling including vegan yogurt, cheese, sausages and burgers. FRESH is a comprehensive peer nutrition education program in partnership with Brescia's Food and Nutrition program and Western's Hospitality Services. FRESH aims to increase awareness, improve knowledge, build skills, and influence the campus food environment. Follow FRESH Instagram for more information.
March 28 - Thinking Globally, Acting Locally - Live Stake Planting Workshop
*Deferred until late April due to high water levels*
March 29 - SOGS Sustainability Committee - Campus Clean-up
Postponed due to weather. Follow SOGS Sustainability Instagram for more updates.
Open to all members of the campus community. Meet at the Grad Club patio (behind Middlesex College) at 3:00pm. Then the group will walk about 10 minutes to two locations, focusing on litter hotspots in the south of campus. After the clean-up, everyone will return to the Grad Club for a social, and wrap-up the event around 5:00pm. Register here!
April 1* - WUVS Annual Speaker Panel
Join Western University Vegan Society (WUVS) for a panel featuring speakers from different fields to discuss "Climate Change, Environmental Justice & Veganism." This event will take place Saturday, April 1 from 3-5pm in North Campus Building 114. Follow WUVS Instagram for speaker reveals and more details. Come for refreshments and great discussion!
*Rescheduled from March 11
Thank you to all groups in the network for your contributions to Springfest and sustainability initiatives throughout the year!
- BUGS
- Centre for Environment and Sustainability
- Climate Crisis Coalition
- Department of Earth Sciences
- Engineers Without Borders
- Environmental Science Association (ESA)
- EnviroSynBio
- EnviroUSC
- First Year Reps
- FRESH
- Huron Green Club
- Indigenous Students Association
- Ivey HBAA Sustainability Directors
- Ivey Social Impact Club
- Science Students Council (SSC) Environmental Committee
- Society of Biology Graduate Students
- SOGS Sustainability
- Student Energy
- Undergraduate Engineering Society (UES) Sustainability Committee
- USC Clubs Governance Board
- WaterAid Western
- Western Active Transportation Society (WATS)
- Western Community for Active Transportation (WerCAT)
- Western Environmental Business
- Western Sustainable Leaders Program (WSLP)
- Western University Vegan Society (WUVS)
- Western Wildlife Conservation Society (WWCS)
