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W&L Celebrates Earth Month The campus community will promote sustainability and environmental advocacy with various events throughout the month of April.

By Emily Innes Stanley
March 27, 2026

SOC03252026_014-600x400 W&L Celebrates Earth MonthA tree blooms in front of Tucker Hall.

Washington and Lee University is celebrating Earth Month with campus-wide programs and events throughout April to promote sustainable living and environmental advocacy.

The Office of Sustainability and Energy Education (OSEE) and partners across campus and Lexington, Virginia, invite W&L community members to take part in several exciting events they have planned.

Get to Know Refill Rockbridge | April 1 at noon, Elrod Commons 216
Representatives from the Refill Rockbridge initiative will give a presentation on how to purchase plastic-free from Refill Renew in Staunton, Virginia, without having to travel to Staunton. There will be product samples, quick tips for sustainable procurement and refreshments. Stop in for the 10-minute presentation at 12:10 p.m., or bring your lunch and stay awhile, and chat with like-minded sustainable shoppers.

Rockbridge Conservation Seminar | April 2 at 4:15 p.m., RC Theater (Lexington)
Rockbridge Conservation presents “Plastic is Convenient – At What Cost to Human Health” as part of their 50th anniversary series. The seminar will take place at Lexington’s RC Theater located at 12 Nelson Street. Jaimi McPeek, legislative director for the Virginia Bottle Bill, will explore the science, impacts and solutions to plastic pollution, which is one of the fastest-growing environmental challenges of our time. The program will conclude with an interactive question-and-answer session.

Birds and Bees and Bats, Oh My! | April 23 at 4 p.m., Campus Garden
Join OSEE at the Campus Garden on April 23 to help spruce up the pollinator gardens and learn how to create a landscape that supports wildlife and pollinators in your own backyard. Learn more about the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Certified Wildlife Habitat guidelines to help prepare a happy backyard habitat and how to get your own NWF backyard certification.

Waste Audit Walk-Through | May 5 at 4 p.m., Science Center Great Hall
OSEE will provide an overview of why waste audits are useful and how to make them effective, followed by a practical hands-on waste audit. Whether you are a faculty member exploring the topic of waste with a class, a staff member championing better recycling and composting efforts in your department or a student planning a research project or zero-waste initiative with your club or team, waste audits are a great tool. The audit will help you understand how to execute an effective waste audit, providing templates for different kinds of audits and information about connecting a class, club or department audit to broad campus waste reduction efforts. Participation in the trash sort portion of the program is welcome but not required; gloves will be provided.

Sustainability Highlights

At Washington and Lee University, sustainability initiatives aren’t limited to Earth Month! Check out recent highlights from around campus:

In February 2026, W&L’s new Williams School building received LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Williams School is the seventh building on campus to receive LEED certification recognition and the first to achieve the Gold designation.

Jane Stewart, director of sustainability at W&L, was one of 30 college and university professionals to earn STARS data quality certification through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education as part of the fall 2025 cohort. The STARS report is recognized as the preeminent measurement tool for sustainability performance in academics, engagement, operations and administration in higher education.

The W&L Exchange is a community sharing hub where students, faculty and staff can donate surplus or nonessential items for other members of the campus community who can use them. The creation of the Exchange was spearheaded by Augusta Weaver ’26 and Stewart.