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Then: April 22, 1970

Fifty years ago, on April 22, 1970, ²ÊÃñ±¦µä became the first university in the nation to open a student-led Environmental Center. The day coincided with the nation’s inaugural Earth Day, which drew 20 million U.S. participants and led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Since then, ²ÊÃñ±¦µä has been a leader in sustainability and innovation. Highlights include the launch of a recycling program in 1976, distribution of student bus passes in 1991, solar panel installation in 2004 and a pledge to carbon neutrality in 2007. Twenty-eight buildings on campus are LEED-certified and include everything from aeroponic gardens to self-dimming electrochromic glass windows. 

This photo was taken at the Earth Fair on Farrand Field in April 1974. Were you there? Share your memories with us at editor@colorado.edu. 

Photo CU Heritage Center; Daily Camera Collection, copyright 1974