Earth Day began more than 50 years ago with a goal of protecting the planet and raising environmental awareness.
Dr. Tracy Marafiote, an associate professor in the Department of Communication, thinks this initiative has only grown more important over time.
“We’re facing significant environmental issues — from climate refugees to famine to the quality of our water — that we need to think about.” - Dr. Tracy Marafiote
“We need it now more than ever,” said Dr. Marafiote. “We’re facing significant environmental issues — from climate refugees to famine to the quality of our water — that we need to think about.”
To that end, Fredonia’s Department of Environmental Health, Safety and Sustainability will host its annual Earth Day Expo & Farmers’ Market on Wednesday, April 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Williams Center Multipurpose room. The event is free, and the campus and community are invited to attend.
The goal of the event is to showcase sustainability and conservation work being done on campus, in the local community, and around Chautauqua County. It is coordinated by Marafiote and Mia Ciechalski, a student event planning assistant.
“I would like for people to think about actions they can take to make a difference,” Marafiote said. “It could be rethinking what they put in the trash, buying organic produce and supporting local farms or planting native species in gardens.”
The Expo & Farmers’ Market will feature 31 booths.
It includes programs/courses and semester projects such as the Environmental Communication “Life Cycle/Cradle-to-Grave Analyses of household objects,” the Intermediate 2D Animation storyboards/animation of a future Fredonia utopia, and the Science Education NASA connections.
Participating student groups will provide hands-on environmental and sustainable activities including painting plant pots, making seed bombs and upcycling t-shirts into no-sew, reusable tote bags. There will also be a clothing drive, plant giveaways and gift bags comprised of sustainable hygiene products. Students will also provide live music and dance performances.
Local conservation organizations represented will be Greystone Nature Preserve, Wild Ones WNY Chapter, Audubon Community Nature Center of Jamestown, Western New York Land Conservancy, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, the county Soil and Water Conservation District and the Nature Sanctuary Society of Western New York.
Nine vendors from the Fredonia Farmers Market will also participate — Royal Fern Nursery, Choose Violets, Roo Haven Farms, Miller Apples, Maggitti Farm, Dandelions & Dreams, EnJoyABle Acres, Spider Herbs and Aeress Designs.
Since its creation in 1970, Earth Day has grown into the world’s largest environmental movement designed to protect the planet. It is estimated that more than one billion people in almost 200 countries participate every April 22.
The theme for Earth Day 2026 is “Our Planet, Our Power.”
