Sustainability at WHOI

Engaging with the community to develop a healthier environment for everyone

Our Mission

The Sustainability Employee Resource Group (ERG) is an advocate for sustainable initiatives within the WHOI community. Our mission is to integrate sustainable practices and resource conservation in research, education, and operations to reduce human impact on the environment.

Want to get involved? Email sustainability@whoi.edu.

Join our Sustainable WHOI social media pages - Instagram and Facebook.

LEARN MORE

Our Initiatives

Energy & Climate

Timeline of WHOI’s Sustainability Efforts

Shut the Sash

Measure Energy Usage

Solar

Freezer-Fridge Energy Star

Heat Pumps

Waste & Recycling

Recycling Program

Glove Recycling

Composting

Sustainable Event Management

Sustainable Coffee

Beach Clean Up

Green Transportation

Public transportation in Falmouth/Woods Hole

Social Sustainability

Meet on your Feet Maps

WHOI Beekeeping

WHOI Garden

Lunch 'n Learn and more

Botany Walks

WHOI Recreation

News & Events

WHOI Honey Holiday Auction

December 18, 2025

The online 2025 WHOI Honey Holiday Auction will start Wednesday, December 17th at 12 noon, and go through Saturday, December 20th at 8pm. All of the honey has been collected from hives at WHOI and proceeds from the auction will go to the Falmouth Service Center. Find the auction here.

Repair Cafe December 4

November 21, 2025

Give your small appliances or devices a second life at our Winter 2025 Repair Café! Please join us on Thursday, December 4th, in the WHOI DeepTech Collaborative High Bay (previously known as AVAST), from 4-6 p.m., for an evening of skill exchange, repair, and recycling! If you plan to attend and bring things to get help repair, please…

Bird Stroll with Alex Kinsella

August 19, 2025

Come enjoy a stroll with your local birds! Meet on the Fenno Patio on Tuesday, August 26 at 8am. We will talk about the basics of bird identification by sight and by sound as we look for wildlife on the Quissett Campus. You’ll leave with new friends both human and avian.

A Taste of Health Event

July 17, 2025

WHOI Sustainability is hosting an event with Dr Kumara Sidhartha MD MPH on Wednesday, July 23 at 5pm in Clark 507. Dr Sidhartha will give a presentation on human, planetary, and ocean health and then host a tasting of plant based foods. The event is free and open to the public, but requires an RSVP…

Earth Day Campus Cleanup

April 23, 2024

To honor this year’s Earth Day theme of “Planet vs Plastics”, the Sustainability Task Force organized a friendly Campus Cleanup Competition. Many groups got out to pick up trash around campus and enjoy the spring sunshine. The winners for the fullest bags were the team from Fye, including Helen Fredricks, Laura Motta, Gretchen Swarr, and…

Beekeeping Pep Talk Lunch n Learn

March 19, 2024

Anne Richards, March 27, 12:00 – 1:00pm at Carriage House and Online WHOI’s beekeeping project started in 2020, with hives now on the Quissett Campus and in the Village. This talk will center on the main tasks required of beekeepers month by month, and how interested community members can step in and help with the…

Upper Cape Household Hazardous Waste Disposal 2024

February 26, 2024

Residents of Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Sandwich can bring household hazardous waste to any of these four local drop offs: April 20, 2024, 9am-1pm, Sandwich High School June 15, 2024, 9am-1pm, Falmouth High School August 17, 2024, 9am-1pm, Mashpee High School October 19, 2024, 9am-1pm, Bourne Landfill See the attached flyer or visit www.loveyourlocawater.org for…

Freezer Ice Scraping Tools Distributed around Campus

March 3, 2023

Following the Lab Freezer Maintenance Lunch n Learns, the Facilities Dept has purchased some ice scraping tools to help people carry on with the regular maintenance of their freezers. Sets of rubber mallets and plastic scrapers have been distributed in the freezer rooms of Redfield and Fye and soon to be Watson as well. Be…

Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off Days

February 27, 2023

Wondering what to do with your household hazardous waste? Local towns have a variety of days and locations for drop off.

WHOI is a 2022 Mass Save Climate Leader!

October 25, 2022

WHOI has been selected as a 2022 Mass Save™ Climate Leader; one of just 19 commercial and industrial organizations across the Commonwealth to receive this recognition. WHOI has leveraged the incentives, support, and rebates offered by the Sponsors of Mass Save to make impactful investments in energy efficiency as well as reduce the Institution’s carbon…