West Chester University will open its campus sustainability efforts to the public on Wednesday, Sept. 16, with a free showcase in the Sykes Student Union Ballrooms.

The Sustainability Showcase, hosted by WCU's Office of Sustainability, runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 110 W. Rosedale Ave. Exhibits will cover green roofs, recycling, waste reduction and responsible purchasing, MyChesCo reported. Games, food and takeaways round out the lineup.

No registration is required.

The university already has plants growing on several building rooftops and geothermal wells beneath campus acreage, according to a WCU newsroom release. The showcase introduces residents to those systems through exhibits and activities, with information on how to get involved.

The Sept. 16 event is the first in a semester of public programming. Starting Tuesday, Sept. 22, the Office of Sustainability will run one-hour campus tours from noon to 1 p.m. The first visits the green roof atop the Science and Engineering Center and The Commons. Participants meet at The Commons dining hall at noon.

Three more tours follow: North Campus sustainability initiatives on Thursday, Oct. 15; the Gordon Natural Area on South Campus on Monday, Oct. 26; and the geothermal pumphouse on Friday, Nov. 13. Sign-up is available through the WCU newsroom page.

On Thursday, Oct. 22, WCU and the West Chester Green Team will co-host a free panel on plastics and health at the Business and Public Management Center, 50 Sharpless St. A reception with light refreshments begins at 6 p.m. in Room 102, followed by the panel at 6:30 p.m. in Room 116.

Panelists include WCU faculty members Elliott Arnold of Earth and Space Sciences and Megan Fork of Biology, along with acupuncture and Chinese medicine practitioner Erika Prinz Ben-Zur. Elizabeth Gombosi of the West Chester Green Team will moderate. The Green Team will also present its Environmental Leadership Award to Rachael Griffith, sustainability director for the Chester County Planning Commission.

The university also hosts weekly Sustainability Research and Practice Seminars on Wednesdays at noon in Sykes 255 A/B and on Zoom. The 50-minute sessions feature university and community experts. Fall sessions include bird-building collisions at WCU and residential renewable energy, among other topics. Cookies and coffee are provided.

Residents can find details on all sustainability programming at wcupa.edu/sustainability or by emailing [email protected].