First-Year Camping Trip

Depending on funding, the second years organize a camping trip for the incoming first years to get together and meet just before school starts in August. Previous locations have included Salt Point, Big Basin, and Redwood Regional Park.

Regular Social Events

ESPM Weekly Seminar and Social Hour

The ESPM Department hosts a weekly seminar colloquium each semester featuring invited speakers from outside the university that speak on a wide variety of topics, ranging from carbon mapping to coral zoology, from open source geospatial technology to snow leopard conservation policy. The schedule of speakers is determined by an ESPM faculty committee appointed for each semester and typically take place on Thursday afternoon. Each 1-hr seminar is followed by a department-wide social hour in the Mulford Courtyard, with refreshing drinks (it’s 5 o’clock somewhere), artistic cheese arrangements, and engaging conversations with the invited speaker - or whoever happens to be on campus and can be coaxed out of their lab for a few minutes of sunshine.

Coffee Hour with GSAO’s

Once a month or so, students, faculty, postdocs, and staff meet over coffee, tea, and snacks at the Coffee Hour hosted by Ryann and Zarah! This can be a great opportunity for facetime with your GSAO’s to bring forward your questions and concerns, but the space also warmly welcomes those who want to drop by for small talk, intradepartmental socializing, or just to get a break from the grind and enjoy a hot drink and relax for a bit.

ESPM Halloween Party

It’s tradition to throw a fun, spirited Halloween celebration for the whole department for Halloween! Faculty, students, staff, and postdocs are encouraged to dress up in costume and join the late afternoon Halloween get-together, which always features festive snacks and drinks, contests and prizes that will get you in the spooky spirit! If you’re wondering whether wearing a costume to campus is “too much”, well - let’s just say, ESPM goes hard on Halloween, so don’t be caught without one! 

ESPM Holiday Party

Every December, the ESPM community comes together to celebrate the end of the fall semester with a social festivus of merrymaking. Dinner and drinks are on the department, and you bring the dessert - partygoers will vote on the best dessert and the winner is awarded accordingly! Lights are strung, holiday tunes played, themed attire worn, food served, drinks doled out liberally. 

Grad Fest

The ESPM Graduate Research Symposium is an annual event that celebrates and showcases graduate student research. Finishing grad students will have the opportunity to present their finishing talks at GradFest to fulfill the graduation requirement. The event usually involves lunch, a keynote speaker, remarks from department leadership, and a reception. For more information and an overview of past GradFests, please see https://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu/graduatesymposium/ 

GSA Events

The Graduate Student Assembly regularly holds events throughout the semester. These could include salsa dancing at Comal, going on Tree Walks, and paint & sipping! Everyone is always welcome to pitch new ideas and help plan future ones.

From the Paint & Sip GSA Night! March 8th, 2024

Left to right (bottom): Summer Vance, Kelly Kinder, Kathy Nagel, Kieren Rudge, Andrew Johnson

Left to right (middle): Felipe Montealegre-Mora, Anusha Bishop, Maedeh Chitsaz

Left to right (top): Abby Keller, Sam Maher