For Earth Day on April 22, the Office of Sustainability invites everyone to celebrate our home planet by ditching the car and participating in the inaugural Green Transportation Week from April 21–25. This initiative encourages the Lumberjack community to try alternative modes of transportation on campus and throughout the city.
Danielle Linthicum, conservation programs coordinator at the Office of Sustainability, said they have partnered with groups on campus and in Flagstaff, including NAU Yellow Bike Program, NAU Transit Services, Mountain Line, NAU Outdoor Adventures and the Flagstaff Bike Organization, to offer fun events incentives for those who participate.
Some of the events include bike clinics where anyone can take their bikes to be repaired by trained mechanics for free, a shuttle trivia game that encourages Lumberjacks to use the service and a closing event on Friday with free food, activities, fun and a raffle with multiple prizes.
To be entered into the raffle, participants can log their ecofriendly journey at the Green Transportation Week website. Everyone is encouraged to take pictures and share them on social media to inspire others to be part of this initiative.
“It is easier to try new things when you have a community of people who are doing the same thing you are,” Linthicum said. “We are hoping to create some kind of community engagement around it and make it a fun event that will encourage people to try a non-car form of transportation. If people deviate from their routine and try something new, they might see that this is something achievable for them and might start incorporating it into their normal routines.”
Organizers encourage those who can’t bike, walk or use the bus to carpool with a friend or coworker in their neighborhood, saving gas and money and reducing their carbon footprint.
The initiative is tied to NAU’s Climate Action Plan, which aims to lower the university’s carbon footprint, and to NAU’s Health Initiative, which looks to improve the health outcomes for all Arizonans, since walking and riding a bike to work or school has significant environmental and health benefits. The Health Impact Program for NAU employees is another partner in this initiative, offering participants 200 points for choosing an alternative transportation method during the week.
Green Transportation Week is an opportunity to bond as a community, embrace eco-friendly ways to get around and experience the mental and physical benefits of staying active.
For more information, visit https://in.nau.edu/green-nau/green-transportation-week/
Mariana Laas | NAU Communications
(928) 523-5050 | mariana.laas@nau.edu