Earth Day: Rooted in Action

Environmental challenges, such as climate change, pollution, global warming, and habitat loss, can seem overwhelming and difficult to solve. But each year, Earth Day reminds us that meaningful change can begin with small, local actions. By planting trees and flowers, recycling, thrifting instead of buying new, and becoming informed and engaged citizens, we can care for our corner of the world and inspire a broader global impact.

 

In her opening remarks to Upper School students on Earth Day, Head of School Susanna Waters emphasized that local sustainability efforts, like those that Fay students would be engaging in that day, can create a powerful ripple effect: “Local action builds empathy, understanding, and interest amongst the futurists, engineers, policy makers, and other big changemakers with agency on a global scale.”

 

This past fall, Ms. Waters established the Sustainability Core Team, a group of administrators that meets regularly to put Fay’s commitment to sustainability into meaningful action. One of the team’s first initiatives was to revive Earth Day as a school-wide event after a ten-year hiatus. Service Learning Coordinator Christina Berthelsen and Director of Student Life Joe Buteau took the lead, tapping into the skills, interests, and professional networks of Fay’s faculty and staff to crowdsource workshop topics and activities.

 

In tandem with Earth Day plans, the Sustainability Core Team also revived Fay’s Earth Day Writing Contest, an Upper School tradition that celebrates the best poetry or prose written in appreciation of nature or the environment. The winning entry was the poem “Tomorrow” submitted by Blair W. ’27. Her name will be added to the Earth Day Writing Contest Plaque in the Root Building.

 

Fay’s Earth Day 2025 activities were organized under the theme “One Small Change.” Lower and Upper School students began the day with Morning Meetings led by the Eco-Alliance, a group of Upper Schoolers who are passionate about sustainability and the environment. They shared the history of Earth Day and some compelling reasons why protecting the environment and sustainable living are important. Afterward, Upper School students spent the morning in conference-style sessions focused on education and action. Lunch featured a vegetarian menu served in reusable containers and supported by compost bins to minimize waste. In the afternoon, the entire school participated in community activities, culminating in an all-school gathering emceed by Eco-Alliance members. “We came together to share our progress and achievements,” says Eco-Alliance member Jenny K. ’26. “Seeing every project, including the poems, mural, and dances, felt rewarding and wrapped the day up in a memorable finale.”