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Sustainability Resources

At Harvard, we are incorporating sustainable practices and initiatives at all schools and administrative units on campus. Explore our resources and guides to learn how you and your office can become more sustainable.

Sustainability resources

Explore Harvard’s sustainability guides, standards, and resources:

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Whether you are a student, staff member, alum, community member or simply want to learn more about sustainability at Harvard, there are many opportunities to get involved.

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January

05

Multi-day Event

ISCN Photo Contest

The International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) is launching an extended edition of the “Biodiversity on Campus” Photo Contest, and we warmly invite members of the Harvard community to take part.

The contest highlights biodiversity measures and nature-positive moments on university campuses. Participants submit one photograph and a few details that bring the image to life: together, images and additional information form powerful, engaging narratives that help us think — and act — together for a resilient future.

Submit your photo by February 28, 2026.

March

03

Tuesday
12:00 pm-1:30 pm GMT+0000

Harvard Hand-Me-Down Collective

The Harvard Hand- Me-Down Collective
Kid’s Clothing, Kid’s Clothing, Toys, and Books
Tuesday, March 3rd 12PM – 1:30 PM
Smith Campus Center – Commons Room
Near Kome Sushi
Drop off what you no longer need and take home what you do.
Yes, it’s free.
For questions email meg_curley@harvard.edu

March

04

Wednesday
11:00 am-2:00 pm GMT+0000

Open to Harvard Community

Spring 2026 Freecycle at Science and Engineering Complex (SEC)

freecycle
Zero Waste

Join us at our Freecycle in the SEC Atrium! Drop off reusable goods you no longer need, and browse a fantastic selection of items brought by others. Find some secondhand items to gift this year. Popular items include books, clothes, and working household goods.

March

05

Thursday
6:00 pm-8:00 pm GMT+0000

Careers in Climate Action Speaker Series Spring 2026

Join the Salata Institute at Mignone Center for Career Success for an evening that explores scientific creativity and tangible career opportunities in Denmark. Learn how you can build a meaningful career in a thriving, collaborative research ecosystem through Danish Technical University and Science Hub Denmark. Discover how your next research step could take you to the heart of Europe’s green and bioscience transition. This session features Andreas Worberg, Head of the Center for Biosolutions at Danish Technical University, and Charles More, interdisciplinary thinker and founder of Imaginative Philosophy. Together, they will share perspectives on how cutting-edge bioscience, biomanufacturing, and creative scientific thinking translate into real-world climate and planetary health solutions. Speakers will highlight career pathways within Denmark’s collaborative research landscape, including opportunities supported by Science Hub Denmark, and discuss how researchers can move from early-stage inquiry to applied impact. Attendees will gain insight into how their next research step could place them at the heart of Europe’s green and bioscience transition—working across disciplines, sectors, and borders to address urgent climate challenges.

March

07

Saturday
2:00 pm-3:30 pm GMT+0000

Science Spotlights: The Case of the Immortal Chemicals & Learning about the Deep Past from Ancient DNA

Meet up-and-coming scientists and learn about questions at the forefront of research today in this series of short talks.

2:00–2:30 pm – The Case of the Immortal Chemicals
Speaker: Ethan Sontarp, Graduate Student with the Sunderland Group

There’s a mystery that needs to be solved: where does invisible pollution go when it is released into the environment? Scientists use chemical fingerprinting to do detective work, uncovering why certain man-made pollutants are so resistant to breaking down and where they like to go. By following this trail of clues, researchers can learn how to stop pollution from entering our food and drinking water. Join Harvard scientist Ethan Sontarp to discover how environmental detective work can help protect the world around us.

3:00-3:30 pm – Learning about the Deep Past from Ancient DNA
Speaker: Daniel Tabin, PhD Student in the David Reich Lab

Writing has only been around for about 6,000 years. This means that the stories of people who lived before that time were never recorded for future generations. Thankfully, these stories are not lost forever. How can we learn about the adventures, relationships, and challenges of people who lived long before anyone ever put words on a page? Join Harvard scientist Daniel Tabin to discover how ancient DNA can help us piece together the lives of people who lived thousands of years ago—and hear about the remarkable stories he has helped bring back to light.

20-minute talk followed by 10-minute Q&A session. Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Regular museum admission rates apply.

Presented by the Harvard Museum of Natural History and Harvard Museums of Science & Culture

April

01

Wednesday
11:00 am-2:00 pm GMT+0000

Open to Harvard Community

Spring 2026 Freecycle at Smith Campus Center (SCC)

Earth Day
Earth Month 2026

Join us at our Freecycle in the Smith Campus Center! Drop off reusable goods you no longer need, and browse a fantastic selection of items brought by others. Find some secondhand items to gift this year. Popular items include books, clothes, and working household goods.

April

15

Wednesday
9:00 am-12:00 pm GMT+0000

Open to Harvard Community

HKS Hosting Bike Repair Day and Breakfast

Bicycling
Earth Month 2026

As part of 2026 Earth Month, the Harvard Kennedy School will host a bike repair day and breakfast on Wednesday, April 15th from 9 am-12 pm. 

April

18

Saturday
1:00 pm-4:00 pm GMT+0000

Cherry Blossom Celebration at the Arnold Arboretum

Come celebrate Japanese culture amongst the Arboretum’s beautiful cherry blossoms with taiko drumming, traditional Japanese dance, Japanese games and calligraphy, family activities, and the inside scoop on the Arboretum’s own cherry collection.

April

22

Wednesday
10:00 am-12:00 pm GMT+0000

Charles River Clean-Up 2026

Earth Day
Earth Month 2026
Harvard Kennedy School

Take action on Earth Day and join your Harvard community members and friends for a Charles River Clean-up on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, 2026 from 10 am to 12 pm! The Charles River Conservancy will be providing a brief education on the local watershed and provide tools and training for the morning.

April

22

Wednesday
12:00 pm-2:00 pm GMT+0000

Community Event

Earth Day 2026

Earth Day
Earth Month 2026

Join the Harvard Office for Sustainability and Harvard Common Spaces for an Earth Day Festival on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 from 12 to 2 pm at the Science Center Plaza.