Peter McDill
The Paw Print
The Environmental Action for Resources, Transportation and Health Group, or EARTH Group, is sponsoring ASU’s annual Earth Week events from April 22-28. Led by EARTH Group Coordinator Dr. Jared Beeton, the group will push to increase awareness and education about the ASU community living a proactively more sustainable lifestyle.
When asked why students should be involved and participate in EARTH week, Dr. Beeton replied that “…this is their campus, and with increased recycling, bicycling, access to local foods, use of renewable energy sources, and other sustainability efforts, we can make it a cleaner and healthier place to live.”
EARTH Group kicks off Earth Week on Monday, April 22 with Russell Box and a Ute Bear Dance presentation in the Student Life Center at 6pm. This evening event will be followed up on Tuesday, April 23 with an afternoon EARTH Art Show Reception and Tie Dye in the Art Building Lobby from 3-5pm. Monday and Tuesday’s presentations promise to be both interactive and educational.
Earth Week resumes activities on Thursday with a Sustainability Booth from 11am-2pm in the SUB, to promote Bike to Work Day, and a BYORC (Bring Your Own Recyclable Bottle) Hoops Contest. Prizes will be handed out to those who make five shots with the recyclable bottle and those who bring in their bicycle. Later, EARTH Group will have Diego Martinez, an electric car presentation, and a film titled “Revenge of the Electric Car” in Porter Hall at 6pm. This event coincides with EARTH Groups mission this week to promote pertinent education. As Dr. Beeton accurately notes, “As population continues to increase on a planet with finite resources, sustainability becomes more and more important, and students with knowledge in environmental and ‘green’ practices will be a step ahead in business, resource management, sciences, education, etc.”
However, as knowledge has its due place, there is also room for proactive involvement. As probably noted by those who run on the Rio, the path near the softball field has become littered with trash resulting from windstorms in the Valley. On Friday EARTH group will have a Rio Grande River Cleanup from 4:-5:30pm where students, faculty and staff are encouraged to meet at the campus green to help make our community a cleaner place.
On Saturday, April 27 there will be a Reduce, Reuse & Recycle Garage Sale from 7am-12pm on the corner of West & First. Also on Saturday there is an East Campus Community Garden Work Day from 9am-12pm. This garden will be available to the ASU and Alamosa community when ready. To cap off a great week of events, EARTH Group is working with the Adams State Adventure Program to host a Leave No Trace hike to beautiful Windy Peak.
All in all, Earth Week promises to be an eventful time with ample opportunities for students to get involved, learn a bit and meet new people. With the efforts made during Earth Week, it is hopeful that Adams State and Alamosa can progress as a community both educationally and in application. It is of the utmost importance that ASU maintains a high standard of sustainability and the ASU administration, faculty, staff & students continue to push for more resources to increase recycling and other environmentally friendly practices. For those interested in how to get involved please contact Dr. Jared Beeton in Porter Hall 104 or at jmbeeton@adams.edu.
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