Earth Day is on Tuesday, April 22 this year. To celebrate, The Macoskey Center typically holds an event called EarthFest, a daylong event that brings in various activities and vendors for individuals of all ages to come and interact with the center.
However, EarthFest will look a little different this year.
Recently the Macoskey Center received a grant from The West Penn Energy Fund and were awarded $22,500. Part of that money is providing them with the availability to extend EarthFest to not just a day, but the entire month of April.
“That means that instead of having one day where we have a lot of vendors come to the Macoskey Center, we’re spreading it out into multiple events each week throughout the month of April,” Paige McCullough, the Macoskey Center’s multimedia communications intern, said.
The grant will also be used for research opportunities and sustainable updates to efficient energy.
“For Earth Month, specifically, it really allows us to expand that from the one day EarthFest to…21 events the Macoskey Center will be putting on either at the Macoskey Center or at Slippery Rocks campus,” McCullough said.
The Macoskey Center is working with various collaborators to put together events for individuals to attend throughout the month of April.
Some days in the month will even include more than one activity. Activities are meant to teach individuals about sustainability, conservation and how to protect the planet.
“There’s events for kids, there’s events for adults, families, anything in between. It is really great,” McCullough said.
Some of the events offered include speakers, workshops, scavenger hunts and bird walks. One workshop occurred on April 2 and was dedicated to educating students on sustainable menstrual products and cures. Others involve cooking, with free food and recipes for attendees to enjoy.
Not only will the Macoskey Center be celebrating Earth Day, but they will also be having an open house to celebrate their 35th birthday and The West Penn Energy Fund’s 25th anniversary. This event will be held on April 22, with tours and educational activities for families.
Two guest speakers will also be visiting campus during Earth Month. Former White House National Climate Advisor, Ali Zaidi, will be at SRU on April 7. Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Cindy Adams-Dunn, will be speaking on April 17.
For updates and information, individuals can go to the Macoskey Center Instagram or their Linktree. They can then access a full calendar lineup of events that are happening this month.
The calendar will also show which events require an RSVP or are just for SRU students. Most events are free.
“There are so many different ways that it will serve Slippery Rock University. First, I think…it’s going to be a lot of fun. There’s so many different events. There’s something for everyone, every topic, every sphere of life. It’s just going to be a lot of fun to attend the events, do the activities at the workshops and take home something fun, but also sustainability has such a large impact in our lives, and so learning about different sustainable initiatives and implications is really, really important for our community,” McCullough said.
