Students and community members will be able to see all the ways Auburn strives to be a sustainable community at the sixth annual Office of Sustainability Picnic this week.
The picnic will be held on Aug. 22 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Donald E. Davis Arboretum and will host many local groups. The picnic will provide the student body with the opportunity to interact with organizations and other students who support and promote campus and community sustainability.
The picnic’s goal is to be a zero-waste event, while still offering a plethora of free food, live music, games and prizes for attendees.
“The sustainability picnic is the perfect chance to meet other students with similar interests and get connected to opportunities here at Auburn,” said Jennifer Morse, communications and outreach director for the Office of Sustainability. “We have students who come back year after year because it is such a fun event.”
More than 25 campus and local organizations will be present, ranging from the AU Community Garden to the meat and bee labs.
To further encourage the theme of zero waste for the picnic, the Office of Sustainability is only allowing participating organizations to have a single informational flyer for each attendee.
Organizers are also limiting photos on handouts, rather than handing out flyers and other materials that would typically get thrown away or tossed on the ground, according to the Office of Sustainability.
Upon entry, students will be given a bingo card with clues about each of the organizations that will be tabling. The clues will lead students to each table, encouraging opportunity for conversation and connection.
For every clue accurately matched to its table, students will receive a stamp on their bingo card. For every row on the bingo card, students can earn a ticket for the door prize drawing. Students who fill their entire card are eligible to win an Auburn bike.
Other possible prizes to win include gift cards from businesses around town as well as prizes that encourage lifestyle choices that are centered around sustainability.
“We hope students will be inspired to get involved with sustainability at Auburn University, whether it be through student organizations, academics or supporting Auburn foods or local businesses. Auburn has something for everyone when it comes to transforming our future for the betterment of the environment,” Morse said.
The idea for the sustainability picnic originated from conversations among the waste reduction and recycling department within Facilities Management and the Office of Sustainability.
As the idea developed over the years, and the Davis Arboretum, Tiger Dining, the natural resources management degree and the academic sustainability programs were brought on board as partners for the event.
The Office of Sustainability encouraged students and community members to follow its social media accounts to stay up to date on how the picnic will look as the date approaches.
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