As summer draws to a close, Hopkins is getting ready to welcome students back to campus! Keep an eye out for the Office of Climate and Sustainability at orientation events across the university and read on for sustainable move-in tips. This month’s newsletter includes info about helping to shape our staff and faculty programming, an upcoming panel on campus sustainability, how sustainability is being incorporated into the new student center dining options, and a recap of the inaugural JH Lab Supply Swap. Plus, check out our August media recommendations, JHU climate and sustainability in the news, and events on campus and in the community.

JHU faculty and staff members are invited to participate in a focus group hosted by the Office of Climate & Sustainability. The session is designed to help shape future sustainability programming tailored specifically for employees. We want to hear from you! What resources and tools would be helpful to you in your role? Come help determine what our program to support staff and faculty in advancing sustainability across JHU will look like.  

Please fill out this form to register. Each workshop is limited to 15 participants. 

There are four date options: three in-person (lunch will be provided for the in-person options), and one virtual. Each workshop will last a total of 1.5 hours. The dates and locations are below: 

Please reach out to Claire Runquist (crunquist@jhu.edu) with any questions. 

The National Capital Chapter of International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) is hosting a panel event on Thursday, 9/11, at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C., featuring speakers from OCS and the Bloomberg School of Public Health (BSPH). 

In 2024, Johns Hopkins University adopted its Climate Action and Sustainability Plan, leveraging the university’s unique multidisciplinary expertise to create an ambitious and holistic vision for a healthy, just, and sustainable future. This panel, composed of sustainability and facilities staff at JHU, will discuss some of the practices, policies, and initiatives leading JHU towards a sustainable future. Topics covered will include JHU’s High Performance and Healthy Building Requirements, lab ventilation optimization, ultra-low temperature freezers, and Green Labs programs.

Featured speakers:

Homewood campus is set to welcome a vibrant new dining experience this fall with the opening of its student center featuring a coffee shop, expanded sushi options, a full-service restaurant, and four food stalls—all powered by local Baltimore vendors. The new Hopkins Student Center will also expand Hopkins Dining’s efforts to promote responsible waste management, with all partners offering compostable to-go containers that will be collected by regional composting partners. “This is a huge win. Together we are supporting the demand for compostable disposables and opening the doors for our partners to use these more sustainable options,” says Graham Browning, Sustainability Manager for Hopkins Dining. “We recognize that it’s not a perfect solution, but it’s a step in the right direction.” 

After evaluating over 100 local food businesses, Hopkins Dining selected four standout vendors through a community-driven food expo attended by more than 200 students, staff, and faculty. The result is a diverse lineup that reflects the heart of Baltimore’s culinary culture. “We were very intentional about going local and really being able to celebrate the restaurant scene here in Baltimore,” says Matt Moss, Assistant Vice Provost for Hopkins Dining. 

Last month's inaugural JH Lab Supply Swap, sponsored by the Fisher Center and co-sponsored by OCS, was an overwhelming success! In our soft-launch, donations were received from 13 labs across the School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health. The swap involved: 

Due to the strong enthusiasm and positive response of both our donors and recipients, we are planning another Lab Supply Swap for the end of January. Thank you to Diane Lanham and Clara Wolfe for organizing this event, and to everyone who participated!   

Public Health On Call: 924 – The Shocking Hazards of Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley”

Produced by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, this episode of "Public Health of Call" interviews two Hopkins researchers on their findings about compounding chemical exposure on human health.

Architectural Epidemiology: Architecture as a Mechanism for Designing a Healthier, More Sustainable, and Resilient World

This recent publication from Johns Hopkins University Press explores ways to to create healthier, sustainable, and resilient communities using place-based design strategies.

Litter Spring/Summer 2025

The Ecological Design Collective's inaugural issue of their new journal is centered on "rethinking ecological design during a time of reactionary politics." 

There are plenty of ways you can reduce waste, cut emissions, and make the move-in process more sustainable! Here are some of our tips: 

Plan Ahead

Focus on Second-Hand Finds

Pack Sustainably

If your organization or department is planning a climate- or sustainability-related event, please send it our way (sustainability@jhu.edu) so we can add it to our calendar of events.

Blood Drive with the American Red Cross

Aug 20 | 8 AM – 3 PM | Turner Concourse

Webinar: Let’s Teach Planetary Health 

With Planetary Health Alliance 

Sep 9 | 9 AM OR 7 PM | Virtual 

SOURCE Community Involvement Fair 

Sep 10 | 12 – 2 PM | Feinstone Hall (BSPH Wolfe Street Building) 

Policies and Practices: Toward Improving Campus Sustainability 

With International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories 

Sep 11 | 7:30 PM (Doors 5 PM) | Bloomberg Center (DC) 

Nature Masterclasses: Principals of Scientific Writing with Jeffrey Robens 

With the Provost's Leadership, Advancement & Development (LAD) Academy 

Sep 16 | 1 – 2:30 PM | Virtual 

Johns Hopkins East Baltimore Community & Connection Strolls 

With Health Promotion & Well-Being 

Sep 18 | 12:15 – 12:45 PM | Eager Park 

Urban Beekeeping Workshop 

With Bmore Beautiful 

Aug 15 | 5 – 7 PM | Filbert Street Garden 

Wildlife Gardening: My Indigo World 

With Waterfront Partnership 

Aug 16 | 10 AM – 1 PM | Rash Field Park 

Make Together: Mending Workshop! 

Aug 17 | 2 – 4:30 PM | Open Works 

Our Parks x TEN Baltimore Symposium 

With National Parks Service, Parks and People, ULI Baltimore, The Nature Conservancy, Maryland State Archives, and Bon Secours 

Aug 22 – 23 | Bon Secours

Importance of Mycorrhizal Fungi for Tree Propagation 

With Maryland Native Plant Society 

Aug 25 | 7 – 9 PM | Virtual 

Caring for Pollinator Gardens

With Farm Alliance of Baltimore & National Wildlife Foundation

Aug 27 | 6 – 8 PM | 1221 Small St

Rewild Your Yard: How Meadows Support Pollinators and Clean Water 

With Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake 

Sep 4 | 7 – 8 PM | Virtual 

Stormwater Solutions Walking Tour 

With The 6th Branch 

Sep 6 | 12 – 2 PM | 1309 Homewood Ave 

11th Annual Environmental Justice & Health Disparities Symposium 

With Center for Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health  

Sep 10 – 13 | Virtual/Sheraton Inner Harbor