SMC marks Earth Week with Gardening and Sustainability Fest

Across three days in April, SMC celebrated Earth Week 2026. Monday, April 20, was Poppy Planting Day near the main quad, an opportunity to sow native flower seeds. 

On Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, students learned how to plant seeds for organic produce during Garden & Grow day, located at the Organic Garden. 

A Sustainability Fest took place Thursday, April 23, at the quad, with a free mini farmers market offering fresh produce. Students met clubs and local organizations that help protect the environment. 

All of the events were organized by the SMC Sustainability Center. 

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Santa Monica College student Yihan Tian participated in the Garden & Grow event on Earth Day at the SMC Organic Garden on the main campus in Santa Monica, Calif.,Wednesday, April 22, 2026.Students learned how to save and plant seeds for organic produce while celebrating fresh starts, sustainability, and community growth. The event featured workshops on seed-ball making and starting a garden. (Masie Najafi | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College student Ed Nah during the Garden & Grow event on Earth Day at the SMC Organic Garden on the main campus in Santa Monica, Calif., on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.Students learned how to save and plant seeds for organic produce while celebrating fresh starts, sustainability, and community growth. The event featured workshops on seed-ball making and starting a garden. (Masie Najafi | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College celebrated Earth Day with the Garden & Grow event at the SMC Organic Garden on the main campus in Santa Monica, Calif., on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.Students learned how to save and plant seeds for organic produce while celebrating fresh starts, sustainability, and community growth. The event featured workshops on seed-ball making and starting a garden. (Masie Najafi | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College student Savannah Youabian, a business major, participated in the Garden & Grow event on Earth Day at the SMC Organic Garden on the main campus in Santa Monica, Calif.,Wednesday, April 22, 2026.Students learned how to save and plant seeds for organic produce while celebrating fresh starts, sustainability, and community growth. The event featured workshops on seed-ball making and starting a garden. (Masie Najafi | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College celebrated Earth Day with the Garden & Grow event at the SMC Organic Garden on the main campus in Santa Monica, Calif., on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.Students learned how to save and plant seeds for organic produce while celebrating fresh starts, sustainability, and community growth. The event featured workshops on seed-ball making and starting a garden. (Masie Najafi | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College student Yihan Tian participated in the Garden & Grow event on Earth Day at the SMC Organic Garden on the main campus in Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, April 22, 2026.Students learned how to save and plant seeds for organic produce while celebrating fresh starts, sustainability, and community growth. The event featured workshops on seed-ball making and starting a garden. (Masie Najafi | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College director of sustainability Ferris Kawar during the Garden & Grow event on Earth Day at the SMC Organic Garden on the main campus in Santa Monica, Calif., on wednesday, April 22, 2026.Students learned how to save and plant seeds for organic produce while celebrating fresh starts, sustainability, and community growth. The event featured workshops on seed-ball making and starting a garden. (Masie Najafi | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College student Amy Rios participated in the Garden & Grow event on Earth Day at the SMC Organic Garden on the main campus in Santa Monica, Calif.,wednesday, April 22, 2026.Students learned how to save and plant seeds for organic produce while celebrating fresh starts, sustainability, and community growth. The event featured workshops on seed-ball making and starting a garden. (Masie Najafi | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College director of sustainability Ferris Kawar during the Garden & Grow event on Earth Day at the SMC Organic Garden on the main campus in Santa Monica, Calif., on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.Students learned how to save and plant seeds for organic produce while celebrating fresh starts, sustainability, and community growth. The event featured workshops on seed-ball making and starting a garden. (Masie Najafi | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College celebrated Earth Day with the Garden & Grow event at the SMC Organic Garden on the main campus in Santa Monica, Calif., on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.Students learned how to save and plant seeds for organic produce while celebrating fresh starts, sustainability, and community growth. The event featured workshops on seed-ball making and starting a garden. (Masie Najafi | The Corsair)

The California Climate Action Corps, partnered with Santa Monica Mountains Fund (SAMO Fund) attends the Sustainability Fest on the Santa Monica College (SMC) main campus quad on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026. SAMO Fund hosts California Climate Action Corps fellows in their fight to reclaim space for nature in California and was responsible for replanting the Microforest Demonstration on the SMC campus. (Tori Campbell | The Corsair)

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Santa Monica College Stem Counselor (L) and Tommy Shoemaker, a member of Club Grow (R), participated in the Garden & Grow event on Earth Day at the SMC Organic Garden on the main campus in Santa Monica, Calif., on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.Students learned how to save and plant seeds for organic produce while celebrating fresh starts, sustainability, and community growth. The event featured workshops on seed-ball making and starting a garden. (Masie Najafi | The Corsair)

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Michael Brodsky (cq.) of the Santa Monica Great Park Coalition discusses the future plans of the park replacing the Santa Monica Airport at the Sustainability fest on the Santa Monica College (SMC) main campus quad on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026. Residents of Los Angeles can voice their opinions on the new layout of the park online at www.smacproject.com. (Tori Campbell | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College (SMC) students Danielle Toledo (Left) and Nasim Jahangard-Mahboob (cq.) (Right) hand out Ike’s sandwiches to students at the Sustainability Fest on the SMC main campus quad on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026. Toledo and Jahangard-Mahboob work with the SMC Eco Action club to urge students to join their fight for a more sustainable world. ( Tori Campbell | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College student Savannah Youabian, a business major, participated in the Garden & Grow event on Earth Day at the SMC Organic Garden on the main campus in Santa Monica, Calif.,Wednesday, April 22, 2026.Students learned how to save and plant seeds for organic produce while celebrating fresh starts, sustainability, and community growth. The event featured workshops on seed-ball making and starting a garden. (Masie Najafi | The Corsair)Students learned how to save and plant seeds for organic produce while celebrating fresh starts, sustainability, and community growth. The event featured workshops on seed-ball making and starting a garden. (Masie Najafi | The Corsair), April 22, 2026.Students learned how to save and plant seeds for organic produce while celebrating fresh starts, sustainability, and community growth. The event featured workshops on seed-ball making and starting a garden. (Masie Najafi | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College (SMC) student Aubrey Pevsner talks with students about her involvement in the California Climate Action Corps, partnered with Santa Monica Mountains Fund (SAMO Fund) at the Sustainability Fest on the SMC main campus quad on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026. SAMO Fund hosts California Climate Action Corps fellows in their fight to reclaim space for nature in California. (Tori Campbell | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College (SMC) Eco Action Club set up a table with an interactive trash sorting game at the SMC Sustainability Fest on Thurs. April 23, 2026 at the SMC Quad on the main campus. The purpose of the game is to teach students the importance of sorting trash into the right places. The Sustainability Fest is a gathering of SMC clubs and community organizations that are dedicated to preserving the environment. (Maria Lebedev | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College (SMC) Associated Students (AS) Director of Basic Needs Martin Orea (cq.) hands out vegan sandwiches to students at the Sustainability Fest on the SMC main campus quad on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026. Students could choose between black bean or portobello mushroom sandwiches from the campus cafeteria in an effort to promote sustainable eating habits. (Tori Campbell | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College's (SMC) Korean Student Association (KSA) set up a table at the SMC Sustainability Fest on Thurs. April 23, 2026 at the SMC Quad on the main campus. For the event, KSA provided a variety of Korean craft projects to the students, such as lantern, bracelet, and crown making. SMC Computer Science major Thar Htet stops by the table to make himself a crown.The Sustainability Fest is a gathering of SMC clubs and community organizations that are dedicated to preserving the environment. (Maria Lebedev | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College (SMC) held their Sustainability Fest on the SMC main campus quad on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026. Eco-friendly clubs from SMC as well as sustainable organizations around Los Angeles attended to teach SMC students how to live a more sustainable and eco-friendly life and to urge them to join the fight for sustainability. (Tori Campbell | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College (SMC) Computer Science major Thar Htet poses for a photograph wearing a crown he just made for himself at the Korean Student Association (KSA) table at the SMC Sustainability Fest on Thurs. April 23, 2026 at the SMC Quad on the main campus.KSA is a student-led SMC community that supports Korean international students while also promoting Korean culture on campus. For the event, KSA provided a variety of Korean craft projects to the students, such as lantern, bracelet, and crown making. The Sustainability Fest is a gathering of SMC clubs and community organizations that are dedicated to preserving the environment. (Maria Lebedev | The Corsair)

Filmmaker and six-time Emmy® winner Joseph Rosendo (L), and Santa Monica College (SMC) Professor and filmmaker Sheila Laffey (R) engage with the audience during the Q&A after the screenings at “Earth Day at Emeritus” in the Auditorium at SMC's Emeritus Campus on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif. The free event, part of Earth Day celebrations, featured several environmentally focused short films followed by a panel discussion on the impact of storytelling and was a collaboration between SMC Emeritus program and the Ethos Film Awards 2026. (Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair)

Sylvie Rokab (cq.) of the Santa Monica Great Park Coalition discusses the future plans of the park replacing the Santa Monica Airport at the Sustainability fest on the Santa Monica College (SMC) main campus quad on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026. Residents of Los Angeles can voice their opinions on the new layout of the park online at www.smacproject.com. (Tori Campbell | The Corsair)

Filmmaker Dylan Langendorf (C), a 13 year-old student at Portola Middle School, among the audience before the screenings at “Earth Day at Emeritus” in the Auditorium at Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Emeritus Campus on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif. The free event, part of Earth Day celebrations, featured Dylan’s first short film, “Seeds of Change”, among several other environmentally focused short films, and was followed by a panel discussion on the impact of storytelling. The event was a collaboration between SMC Emeritus program and the Ethos Film Awards 2026. (Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair)

Filmmaker and six-time Emmy® winner Joseph Rosendo engages with the audience during the Q&A after the screenings at “Earth Day at Emeritus” in the Auditorium at Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Emeritus Campus on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif. The free event, part of Earth Day celebrations, featured several environmentally focused short films followed by a panel discussion on the impact of storytelling and was a collaboration between SMC Emeritus program and the Ethos Film Awards 2026. (Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair)

Audience enjoys the eco-friendly short film screenings at “Earth Day at Emeritus” in the Auditorium at Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Emeritus Campus on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif. The free event, part of Earth Day celebrations, featured several environmentally focused short films followed by a panel discussion on the impact of storytelling and was a collaboration between SMC Emeritus program and the Ethos Film Awards 2026. (Guillermo De La Barreda/The Corsair)

Environmental activist and writer Robin Streichler asks a question to the panelists after the screenings at “Earth Day at Emeritus” in the Auditorium at Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Emeritus Campus on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif. The free event, part of Earth Day celebrations, featured several environmentally focused short films followed by a panel discussion on the impact of storytelling and was a collaboration between SMC Emeritus program and the Ethos Film Awards 2026. (Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair)

Director of the Ethos Film Awards Anabelle Munro introduces the screenings at “Earth Day at Emeritus” in the Auditorium at Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Emeritus Campus on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif. The free event, part of Earth Day celebrations, featured several environmentally focused short films followed by a panel discussion on the impact of storytelling and was a collaboration between SMC Emeritus program and the Ethos Film Awards 2026. (Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College (SMC) Professor and filmmaker Sheila Laffey (L) and Director of the Ethos Film Awards Anabelle Munro (R) introduce the screenings at “Earth Day at Emeritus” in the Auditorium at SMC's Emeritus Campus on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif. The free event, part of Earth Day celebrations, featured several environmentally focused short films followed by a panel discussion on the impact of storytelling and was a collaboration between SMC Emeritus program and the Ethos Film Awards 2026. (Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair)

(L to R) Director of the Ehtos Film Awards and panel moderator Anabelle Munro, student and filmmaker Dylan Langendorf, filmmaker and six-time Emmy® winner Joseph Rosendo, Santa Monica College (SMC) Professor and filmmaker Sheila Laffey, and film educator and filmmaker Nidhin Patel during the Q&A after the screenings at “Earth Day at Emeritus” in the Auditorium at SMC's Emeritus Campus on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif. The free event, part of Earth Day celebrations, featured several environmentally focused short films followed by a panel discussion on the impact of storytelling and was a collaboration between SMC Emeritus program and the Ethos Film Awards 2026. (Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair)

Filmmaker Dylan Langendorf, a 13 year-old student at Portola Middle School, engages with the audience during the Q&A after the screenings at “Earth Day at Emeritus” in the Auditorium at Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Emeritus Campus on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif. The free event, part of Earth Day celebrations, featured several environmentally focused short films followed by a panel discussion on the impact of storytelling and was a collaboration between SMC Emeritus program and the Ethos Film Awards 2026. (Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair)

Community Garden Advocate and Physical Culturist Cordula Ohman during the Q&A after the screenings at “Earth Day at Emeritus” in the Auditorium at Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Emeritus Campus on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif. The free event, part of Earth Day celebrations, featured several environmentally focused short films followed by a panel discussion on the impact of storytelling and was a collaboration between SMC Emeritus program and the Ethos Film Awards 2026. (Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair)

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Filmmaker and Earth-based mindfulness mentor Sylvie Rokab asks panelists, “What does Earth Day mean to you?” after the screenings at “Earth Day at Emeritus” in the Auditorium at Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Emeritus Campus on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif. The free event, part of Earth Day celebrations, featured several environmentally focused short films followed by a panel discussion on the impact of storytelling and was a collaboration between SMC Emeritus program and the Ethos Film Awards 2026. (Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair)

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Author Melina Watts (cq) reads selections of her book to students at the Santa Monica College (SMC) Library in Santa Monica, Calif., Thursday, April 23, 2026. Watts' magical realism young adult novel "Tree" chronicles 229 years of a tree's life in Los Angeles, from pre-colonization to the 19th century.

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Director of the Ethos Film Awards Anabelle Munro (L), and Santa Monica College (SMC) Professor and filmmaker Sheila Laffey (R) introduce the screenings at “Earth Day at Emeritus” in the Auditorium at SMC's Emeritus Campus on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif. The free event, part of Earth Day celebrations, featured several environmentally focused short films followed by a panel discussion on the impact of storytelling and was a collaboration between SMC Emeritus program and the Ethos Film Awards 2026. (Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair)

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Film educator and filmmaker Nidhin Patel engages with the audience during the Q&A after the screenings at “Earth Day at Emeritus” in the Auditorium at Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Emeritus Campus on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif. The free event, part of Earth Day celebrations, featured several environmentally focused short films followed by a panel discussion on the impact of storytelling and was a collaboration between SMC Emeritus program and the Ethos Film Awards 2026. (Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair)

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Audience enjoys the Q&A after the screenings at “Earth Day at Emeritus” in the Auditorium at Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Emeritus Campus on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif. The free event, part of Earth Day celebrations, featured several environmentally focused short films followed by a panel discussion on the impact of storytelling and was a collaboration between SMC Emeritus program and the Ethos Film Awards 2026. (Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair)