Earth Days Events Offer Opportunities Throughout April

April 22 is a day when the whole world comes together in observance of building a more sustainable environment, aiming to protect it from future harm.

For nearly 50 years, activists and environmental leaders across the globe have celebrated Earth Day, conducting activities and organizing movements to educate the public about the importance of environmental sustainability.

And Lebanon Valley College is no different.

Continuing the tradition of “Earth Days” on campus, the Sustainability Advisory Committee (SAC) will host events that take place not just on April 22, but throughout the month of April, all to get the LVC community more involved with its growing sustainability initiatives.

To kick off the season, students and faculty can attend back-to-back events in the Vernon and Doris Bishop Library atrium on April 5. Jay Lohman, LVC residential life area coordinator, will give a talk at 6 p.m. about the impacts of a consumer-driven world, and directly afterward, the annual Sustainability Oratorical Contest will take place at 7 p.m. Finalists in the competition will present speeches that address the question, “Explain a global environmental issue, and discuss how our local behaviors and actions contribute to it. What are the best ways to address this issue, in your view?”

Another highly-anticipated activity on the 2017 Earth Days schedule is a “Cooking with Insects” demonstration by Lancaster County naturalist Lisa J. Sanchez on April 12. At this event, students and faculty are invited to join Dr. Erica Unger’s Human Nutrition class to learn about how to cook and eat insects, and why one would choose to do so.

In the subsequent days, students can participate in a Sustainability Trivia game in the Allan W. Mund College Center, help out with volunteer opportunities dealing with invasive plant control on LVC natural areas, attend a ceremonial tree planting, and much more.

“LVC's Sustainability Advisory Committee holds events throughout the month of April to teach about environmental issues and inspire action in the defense of the environment,” explained Dr. Rebecca Urban, associate professor of biology and member of the SAC. “This year I am especially excited that Dr. Susan Verhoek, professor emerita of biology, will give a guided spring wildflower walk at Quittie Creek Nature Park.”

Coinciding with the weekend of LVC’s spring music and arts festival ValleyFest, students are invited to join a cleanup at Quittie Creek Nature Park on Earth Day before the ValleyFest events, helping keep the park a clean place for the community, as well as assisting in protecting the integrity of the ecosystem. This will help conclude LVC’s Earth Days on an inspiring note.

All students are encouraged to take part in LVC Earth Days 2017 by helping out or by just becoming more educated about the importance of protecting the environment. For a full list of this year’s events, visit www.lvc.edu/life-at-lvc/sustainability-initiatives/earth-days-2017.