Diablo Valley College is hosting an Earth Day treasure hunt from April 18 to 22, extending the annual anniversary of ecological awareness into a week-long event and offering students the chance to win prizes for participating.

“We decided that a treasure hunt would be a good way to include students without them being on campus all at the same time,” said David Hagerty, chair of the DVC Sustainability Committee. This year marks the first Earth Day celebration featuring a treasure hunt, said Hagerty, who has been involved with the committee for six years.

Made up of college faculty, staff, managers and students, the committee develops recommendations that help the college conserve resources and reduce waste. DVC features various kinds of sustainable, environmentally friendly operations: from the 20 electric vehicle charging stations installed on the Pleasant Hill campus, to its Green-Certified custodial department, parking lot solar panels, and award-winning water conservation efforts that use recycled water in restrooms and the horticulture department.

Students can participate in DVC’s Earth Day treasure hunt by downloading the free Actionbound app onto their smartphones and searching for “DVC Sustainability Hunt.” Participants then use the app to search for QR codes located around the Pleasant Hill campus, and watch ecologically themed videos followed by questions.

The highest-scoring treasure hunt participants will win a prize, ranging from a $25 Clipper Card and free lunches from the DVC Culinary Department to reusable water bottles.

Associated Students of Diablo Valley College (ASDVC) and the school’s film department were involved in planning and creating the videos featured in the treasure hunt, according to the event’s press release. The clean transit group 511 Contra Costa also contributed by providing the Clipper Card awards.

According to the official Earth Day website, the event’s first celebration took place in 1970, and every April 22 “marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement.” More than 190 countries have engaged in this cause across the world, with some 1 billion individuals mobilizing for action every Earth Day.

“We hope the treasure hunt will be fun, but also educational,” Hagerty said. “We try to create content that would teach students how to be more sustainable in their own lives.”