Earth Week spotlights waste with over two dozen events
Founders of 5 Gyres Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummings
“Wasting Away,” the theme of SUNY Fredonia’s 2013 Earth Week observance, examines the disposal nature of society — how a myriad of items, starting with food packaging and plastic beverage containers made for one-time use — are wreaking havoc with a planet being adversely impacted by dwindling resources and climate change.
Campus faculty, students and staff will host a full range of activities and events, including lectures, exhibits, an electronics recycling drive, green expo, nature walk, film festival and trash pickup between April 13 and April 22.
The keynote address, “The Perils of Plastic: Notes from the Ocean and Great Lakes,” will be presented by the research team of Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummings, co-founders of 5 Gyres Institute, on Thursday, April 18, at 7 p.m. at Rosch Recital Hall.
A theme has been selected for each day of the Earth Week observance. They are: Go Green (Saturday, April 13); Green and Clean (Sunday, April 14); Treasure Our Planet (Monday, April 15); Flow, for the Love of Water (Tuesday, April 16); Social Justice (Wednesday, April 17); Wasting Away (Thursday, April 18); Stop the Invasion (Friday, April 19); Awareness (Saturday, April 20); Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute (Sunday, April 21); Earth Day (Monday, April 22); and Stop the Invasion (Saturday, April 27).
This year’s Earth Week events include:
- Campus and Community Recycling: drop-off computers and computer equipment, printers, inkjet/toner cartridges, televisions, VCRs and VCR tapes, typewriters, microwaves, cordless phones, radios, cassette players, cameras, video games and other select items – Saturday, April 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., SUNY Fredonia Park and Ride Lot.
- “Seeds of Change,” a Buddhist exhibit of 16 panels that calls attention to education, personal empowerment and local initiatives to address global environmental problems, on display in Reed Library now through April 21.
- Nature Walk at College Lodge: led by Dr. Terry Mosher; van departs campus at 9:30 a.m. at Jewett Hall parking lot – Saturday, April 13, 10 to 11 a.m.
- Clean and Green: spring cleaning workshop – Sunday, April 14, 3 to 4:30 p.m., at Friendly Kitchen, Chautauqua County Rural Ministry, downtown Dunkirk.
- Treasure Our Planet: geo-caching workshop – Monday, April 15, 2 to 4 p.m., Williams Center Multipurpose Room.
- Bike Fixing Workshop: Monday, April 15, 4 to 6 p.m., Williams Center Multipurpose Room.
- Wasting Away art competition: Williams Center, Monday through Friday, April 15 to 19. Judging and awards ceremony held Thursday, April 18.
- Flow (For Love of Water): morning yoga with Brandon Perdomo – Tuesday, April 16, 8 to 9 a.m., Williams Center Multipurpose Room.
- “Take Back the Tap” water challenge: Tuesday, April 16, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., University Commons.
- Environmental Communications Presentations: topics include: trash-caching, personal care products, biking, shoe recycling, bat houses and hiking – Tuesday, April 16, 12:30 to 2 p.m., Williams Center Room 204.
- Creek Cleanup: Wednesday, April 17, 4 to 6 p.m., meet at Williams Center Tim Hortons Cafe and Bake Shop.
- Social Justice Panel: featuring Drs. Tracy Marifiote, David Kinkela, Bob Dahlgren and Christina Jarvis, Wednesday, April 17, 7 to 9 p.m., Williams Center Room 204.
- Environmental Communications Presentations: topics include trash-caching, personal care products, biking, shoe recycling, bat houses and hiking – Thursday, April 18, 12:30 to 2 p.m., Williams Center Room 204.
- “Dumpster Drive” sorting of trash into recyclables: Thursday, April 18, 1 to 3 p.m., Williams Center Courtyard.
- Keynote address – “The Perils of Plastics: Notes from the Ocean and the Great Lakes,” by Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummings, co-founders of 5 Gyres Institute: Thursday, April 18, 7 p.m., Rosch Recital Hall.
- Invasive Species Plant Pull: Friday, April 19, 2 to 4 p.m., meet at Lake Shore Savings Clock Tower.
- Trash Crawl: pick up trash along the streets of Fredonia, Friday, April 19, 1 to 3 a.m., meet at LoGrasso Hall.
- Mass Bike Ride: to Point Gratiot for beach cleanup and return. Meet at Barker Commons, downtown Fredonia, Saturday, April 20, 11 a.m. to noon; cleanup held noon to 2 p.m.
- Environmental Film Festival: screening variety of current, critically acclaimed documentaries on environmental issues, beginning at noon, at Jewett Hall Room 101. A different film will be shown at 2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m.
- Relay for Life: Sustainable team participating, Saturday, April 20, 4 p.m. to 4 a.m., Steele Hall Arena.
- Beach Cleanup: Point Gratiot, Sunday, April 21. Meet at Fenton Hall parking lot at 11:40 a.m.; cleanup noon to 2 p.m.
- Sacred Tree Earth Honoring (with Spider): Monday, April 22, noon to 2 p.m., Williams Center Multipurpose Room (or outside weather permitting).
- Earth Day scavenger hunt: Monday, April 22, 3 to 5 p.m., meet at Jewett Hall lobby.
- Eco-Fashion Show: Monday, April 22, 8 to 10 p.m., Williams Center Multipurpose Room.
- Garlic Mustard Pull at Alexander Preserve: Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., meet at Jewett Hall parking lot.
