Freshman Daren Abramaitys (LEFT) and sophomore Elliott Fylstra (RIGHT) collect trash during the campus clean-up event on April 22.
Laila Jones|Marlin Chronicle
Student organizations, clubs and staff are collaborating to bring awareness to Earth Week. Events will take place from April 22 to April 25 to celebrate, engage and educate students on protecting the Earth.
“It’s really fun to work on a project with other students that are passionate and to see how that has a ripple effect, like just seeing more people care and become interested,” senior Jessica Wilson, president of Marlins Go Green (MGG), said.
Students can take direct action for the planet through several Earth Week initiatives. Wesleyan Engaged organized a campus clean-up for April 22 to collect trash and recycling. On April 25, students are invited to help with a MGG invasive species removal, which is a recurring effort to restore campus green spaces. Another ongoing sustainability effort is campus composting. Wilson said MGG has been working hard to implement composting on campus for the past two years now and it has finally paid off.
“It is a way for students to play a role in reducing our waste and our carbon footprint. Also, the compost program is a symbol for students and faculty that we care about sustainability,” Wilson said.
Wilson said composting covers a lot of sustainability issues, like decreasing our waste, which helps reduce the negative impacts landfills have on communities. This also leads to fewer carbon emissions and improves the health of the soil, replacing synthetic fertilizers produced from fossil fuels.
In celebration of Earth Day, Thirst Project organized its Buggin’ With Buttons event for April 22. Students can design and share buttons featuring Earth Day designs or water equity awareness messages. According to VWU’s website, this event highlights global water justice and promotes the upcoming Walk for Water, an initiative to raise awareness about clean water access worldwide.
“The goal is to provide five families with clean access to water for life. It will give VWU students an idea of what it’s like to have to walk four miles a day for water, which is what people in Africa have to do,” Laila Jones, sophomore and a member of Thirst Project, said.
Other informational Earth Week events include a lecture called “Climate and Crisis: Preparing Physicians for a Changing Planet,” hosted by the Nusbaum Center, where Dr. Aaron Hultgren, emergency medicine physician and climate health expert, will discuss how climate change affects the field of healthcare.
Resource tables from MGG and Thirst Project will be there. Also, earlier in the week, All About Ecotherapy, presented with the Norfolk Public Library, will share about nature-based mental health practices.
“Earth Day is a reminder to take care of the Earth and get into good habits,” Elly Moore, a freshman, said. “Pick up trash if you see it, compost in the dining hall, recycle, turn off your lights and reduce your water waste.”
To end the week in celebration, MGG is collaborating with the campus’ annual celebration of “Bob’s Birthday Bash” on April 25, where environmentally friendly activities and games will be set up. Students are encouraged to bring a t-shirt for the sustainable tie-dye station or be among the first 24 to receive a free reusable tote bag to dye.
“Even though that may seem like a small action, like using a reusable tote bag, that is the groundwork for larger change,” Wilson said.
Students Advocating for Campus Health is also co-sponsoring a clothing swap with MGG, where participants can trade in old clothes for new finds. The Marlins Fishing Club will run a fishing game, and other elements will include a compost knowledge challenge and a vegan vs. non-vegan cookie taste test.
A Student Government (SGA) member, senior Kaza Dayton, has been working on an initiative for picnic tables to be placed outside of Brock Village (VIII). In an email, she said it was approved, and students will be painting nature-inspired designs on them at this event in the spirit of Earth Week.
“We all individually can pursue actions like trying to reduce our waste, but I feel like the most impactful thing we can do is talk to other people about different sustainability issues and stay up to date with what’s going on in the world,” Wilson said.
Wilson suggested an app called 5 Calls, which connects users to their local representatives and provides phone numbers as well as scripts on how to communicate with legislators. This can be a tool to advocate for environmental issues beyond campus and push for change.
By Kami Whisenhunt
