Earth Day events focus on fun, sustainability
A farmers market and pedal-powered smoothies fed interest in protecting the environment.
The Earth provided a sun-splashed, faultless day on April 20 as a harbinger to the celebratory day that bears its name. A Farmers Market at the Pit and an Earth Day Festival brought out hundreds of students, staff and faculty, part of the University’s Earth Day-related events.
At the noontime market organized by Carolina Dining Services, folks milled around tables staffed by representatives of Carolina’s Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling, student organization CompostMates, Carolina Housing’s “Don’t Ditch It, Donate It” effort and others. At a popular station, students lined up to ride a stationary bike mounted with a blender powered by pedaling. Abigail Brewer, communications and engagement specialist with Sustainable Carolina, loaded the blender with fruit before the next rider whirled up their smoothie.
In front of Edible Campus UNC planters in which pak choi and collard greens are growing, company representatives offered information, samples and products like honey, cardamon-infused ice cream and cold-brew coffee.
Take a look at photos below from Carolina’s Earth Day activities.
Near the Frank Porter Graham Student Union, students potted seedlings to take back to their dorm rooms and apartments, while an a cappella group the Achordants sang.
During a late-afternoon festival across campus at Rams Head Plaza, students played games, made buttons and picked up swag and information on sustainability. They ate ice cream on the grassy lawn that harvests up to 32,000 gallons of rain for irrigation use on Carolina’s native canopy trees such as white ash, red maple and yellowwood.
The day before, a group of Carolina employees picked up trash in and along the Meeting of the Waters Creek southwest of Boshamer Stadium.
Learn about Carolina researchers who are tackling environmental challenges facing North Carolina and the world, such as protecting water resources.
Junior Lauryn Walker churns up a smoothie using pedal power. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Melanie Elliott, sustainability analyst with Sustainable Carolina, cleans trash from Meeting of the Waters Creek. (Abigail Brewer/Sustainable Carolina)
Making buttons from images provided by University Libraries was part of the Earth Day Festival hosted by Sustainable Carolina. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Students sample honey from King Cobra Apiary during a farmers market in the Pit. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Velcro ax throwing was a hit at the Earth Day Festival. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
