2008 Woodie Awards
Annual earth festival to feature activities dealing with environment
By Alyssa McCormick
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Focus
American author and philosopher Henry David Thoreau once said, "What is the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?" On April 21, SRU plans to do its part by raising environmental awareness at its annual Earth Festival.
The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Robert A. Macoskey Center for Sustainable Systems Education and Research, located on Harmony Road.
The Earth Festival, a tradition at SRU since 1991, is held on the Saturday closest to Earth Day and is a part of the Kaleidoscope Arts Festival, which is held April 18 to 29.
The first Earth Day, founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, took place in 1970.
The idea first came about in 1962 when Nelson realized that the country was not concerned enough about environmental issues. Therefore, Nelson persuaded President Kennedy to go on a national conservation tour, which Kennedy began in September 1963.
Although the tour was not successful in putting environmental issues onto the national agenda, Nelson had yet another idea. Six years later, he organized a nationwide event over what was happening to the environment. The event took place on April 22, 1970, with 20 million demonstrators and thousands of schools taking part, and this day became known as the first official Earth Day.
SRU's Earth Festival had some more humble beginnings, however.
"The festival originated when the College of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts was reconfigured as a separate college at SRU," English professor Rachela Permenter said.
Activities throughout the day will include nature walks and Macoskey Center tours every hour, a petting zoo, an eco-challenge obstacle course, where prizes will be awarded, a sustainable careers expo, a marketplace, which will feature locally- and organically-grown products, the textile production of local sheep's wool and tree planting.
Also featured at the festival are the Fly Pittsburgh Kite Club, the Slippery Rock Area Elementary School Garden Club and an eco-friendly car demonstration by Greg Boulos of Steel City Biofuels, a project of the Pennsylvania Resources Council that promotes the production and use of biofuels.
The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Robert A. Macoskey Center for Sustainable Systems Education and Research, located on Harmony Road.
The Earth Festival, a tradition at SRU since 1991, is held on the Saturday closest to Earth Day and is a part of the Kaleidoscope Arts Festival, which is held April 18 to 29.
The first Earth Day, founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, took place in 1970.
The idea first came about in 1962 when Nelson realized that the country was not concerned enough about environmental issues. Therefore, Nelson persuaded President Kennedy to go on a national conservation tour, which Kennedy began in September 1963.
Although the tour was not successful in putting environmental issues onto the national agenda, Nelson had yet another idea. Six years later, he organized a nationwide event over what was happening to the environment. The event took place on April 22, 1970, with 20 million demonstrators and thousands of schools taking part, and this day became known as the first official Earth Day.
SRU's Earth Festival had some more humble beginnings, however.
"The festival originated when the College of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts was reconfigured as a separate college at SRU," English professor Rachela Permenter said.
Activities throughout the day will include nature walks and Macoskey Center tours every hour, a petting zoo, an eco-challenge obstacle course, where prizes will be awarded, a sustainable careers expo, a marketplace, which will feature locally- and organically-grown products, the textile production of local sheep's wool and tree planting.
Also featured at the festival are the Fly Pittsburgh Kite Club, the Slippery Rock Area Elementary School Garden Club and an eco-friendly car demonstration by Greg Boulos of Steel City Biofuels, a project of the Pennsylvania Resources Council that promotes the production and use of biofuels.
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