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Earth Week 2023: Living Sustainably in Duluth

Earth Week 2023 featured community events and lots of fun. We are so grateful to everyone who made this week of events successful! Everyone who attended  and volunteered at the events contributed so much. We are also grateful to our partners, vendors, and sponsors. This year we hosted eight events covering many aspects of sustainability. 

At the Virtual Kickoff, local musician and songwriter Hannah Rey shared their talents and wished everyone a Happy Earth week. Folks of all ages planted, seeded, and made art at the Farm Open House. Record numbers of volunteers braved snow and wind at the Lincoln Park Cleanup. They cleared almost 5,000 pounds of litter from the neighborhood.

Two women pose in a greenhouse with a large plant and a sign depicting the Eco3 logo in seeds.
People of all ages wearing high-visibility vests stand in front of the Ursa Minor Brewing sign and smile. They are holding trash bags and other cleanup materials.
Woman helps two children in winter clothing put dirt into small containers for planting seeds.

Earth Week also featured chances for the community to learn about ongoing sustainability work. Guest speakers from the National Renewable Energy Lab shared their research on renewable energy and transportation. Michele Reeves led discussions about transportation and gentrification. She also spoke at the Sustainable Business Breakfast, alongside Mayor Emily Larson and Deputy Commissioner Grace Arnold. These conversations were enlightening, and highlighted the need for continued work and connections throughout the community.

Two men sitting at a table talk with each other. In the background, a man is standing by a board where ideas are being recorded (text is too small to read).
Michele Reeves stands at a podium and speaks to a crowd of seated people, who are facing away from the camera. The Earth Week logo is displayed on a screen on the back wall.
Two women stand at the front of a room. The are several people seated in chairs facing them. A man in a chair is gesturing as he speaks to the women.
Several people are seated in chairs facing the camera. A few people walk among the chairs to gather papers from the seated audience. A young woman smiles as she takes a paper from a seated woman.

Duluth EcoFest brought to life the theme, “Living Sustainably in Duluth.” Over 200 people attended, filling Clyde Iron Works with lively conversation. Vendors included local businesses, organizations, and community groups. There were also special features and interactive displays. Artist Anne Labovitz wove together stories into a community art piece. The “My Earth Story” board featured artwork and photography from the community.  We also celebrated a successful partnership with the GetGreen app. This app promotes daily actions that can be taken to help slow climate change. All present enjoyed a fun day of activities and connections.

A closeup photo of artwork. The artwork is overlapping lines, shapes, and words in many different bright, vivid colors. It looks like a tangle of shapes and colors.
A red beetle peeks out from behind a green leaf. The background of the image is blurry green leaves. The beetle has two long black antennae that gracefully sweep over the top of the leaf. This bug could be described as adorable.
Two standing women smile and talk with two men seated at a table. The table has photos of local trees and small parts of leaves, branches, etc. for a matching activity.
From a balcony above the action, we see many tables with displays and people talking and walking around at EcoFest.
GetGreen representatives, a man and a woman, smile from behind their table at EcoFest.

To all who attended, volunteered, supported, and sponsored Earth Week, we are so grateful. Thank you so much! We are already looking forward to Earth Week 2024, for continued connection and learning.