West Virginia State University (WVSU) will celebrate Earth Day, Monday, April 21, on its Institute campus. Recently honored with the 2013 Tree Campus USA designation by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management, the WVSU Earth Day event will include a tree planting, interactive exhibits and other activities.
“The Tree Campus USA designation is testament to the State family’s efforts to appreciate the environment in which we live and work,” WVSU President Brian O. Hemphill said. “We look forward to joining together in this Earth Day celebration with not only our students, faculty and staff but members of the surrounding community to raise awareness of how we can each take actions to decrease our environmental footprints.”
Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation and sponsored by Toyota to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. WVSU achieved the recognition by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and student service-learning project.
The Earth Day planting of a European Birch Tree will take place at 10 a.m. in the area between Dawson Hall and the Cole Complex on the University’s campus. In addition, groups with an interest in the environment will be on campus from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Wilson University Union providing informational materials as well as some interactive exhibits to promote environmental awareness. These exhibits include a bicycle powered blender which will be offering free smoothies throughout the day. All events are free and open to the public.
“Last year was the first time we hosted an event like this, and we were pleased with the results. We would like to see this become a permanent part of campus life,” said Dr. Brenda Wilson, a WVSU education professor and one of the event’s organizers.
Some of the exhibitors on display during WVSU’s Earth Day celebration will come from groups and departments within the University. Other organizations participating that day will be the Appalachian Power Company Residential Energy Efficiency Program, Energy Efficient West Virginia, Kanawha Recycling, the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, West Virginia 350 and the West Virginia Citizens Action Group.
