Published September 29, 2025

MSU hosted a two-day Climate Change Theatre Action (CCTA) event September 26–27, 2025 at Beal Botanical Gardenand the Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center. It combined performance, ecological learning, and community dialogue as a way to confront climate change.

CCTA opened with context on how climate change has already reshaped Michigan’s landscape, followed by a visual display of invasive plants—barberry, buckthorn, and honeysuckle—that are currently disrupting soil and water systems on campus.

“When we remove them, you can see the difference almost immediately,” said Carolyn Miller, arboretum and invasive species coordinator at Beal. “Rainwater slows down, the soil holds together, and native plants start coming back.” 

Attendees were encouraged to use the MISIN app to report invasive sightings statewide and to join upcoming volunteer removal efforts.

Throughout the two-day event, MSU students performed short climate-themed plays that explored soil health, intergenerational hope for a more sustainable future, ecological stewardship on campus, and a satirical piece told from the perspective of Antarctic penguins. Overall, the performances emphasized that while data can explain climate change, art helps people internalize it.

The event concluded with a conversation about action, highlighting MSU’s use of rain gardens and native plants to absorb stormwater and reduce flooding as heavy rainfall events become more common in Michigan. Participants reflected on climate work as a form of care, or something rooted in attention, participation, and community rather than abstraction.

Story by Aja Witt