AVONDALE, Arizona – April 3, 2014 – April 22 is national Earth Day, where we are to pause and acknowledge the earth’s precious environment and natural resources. It’s a day of inspiration and mobilizing awareness on how to create a sustainable, healthy planet by “greening” communities worldwide.
Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) has devoted an entire week of planned activities and events to help inform and teach ways to make a personal impact on the welfare of nature and the environment. They promise to be engaging and enjoyable, with films, nature tours, and visits from our feathered and scaled friends.
“Sustainability is one of EMCC’s five Core Values,” says Nadine Scowden, committee chair of the Sustainability Team. “We believe that we are all caretakers of our environment, and Earth Week provides an opportunity to make an impact through learning.”
The EMCC Sustainability Team, comprised of students, faculty and staff, selected the Earth Week theme of “Appreciating Nature” and created events, with the resolve that humans need to continually learn how to conserve and coexist with nature. It must be a win-win.
Earth Week events and activities are planned throughout the week of April 21 – 25 on the EMCC campus located at 3000 N. Dysart Rd. in Avondale, AZ. Knowledgeable speakers, educational activities and non-profit organizations will provide interactive information on how we can practice sustainability in our everyday lives and learn exactly how to make a difference. There is also a week-long environmental film series.
All events are free and open to the public, and are subject to change.
Monday, April 21
Sustainability and You!
Presented by: Keep Phoenix Beautiful
9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., EMCC Plaza Gallery
“Sustainability and You” breaks apart the complex ideas around the buzzword of sustainability and creates conversation. The presentation is interactive and stresses looking at the big picture and the interrelatedness of social, economic and environmental concerns.
Keep Phoenix Beautiful (KPB), a local non-profit organization, strives to educate others about their place in the environment and implements programs focused on litter prevention and recycling. Evelyn Brumfield from KPB will facilitate an engaging presentation on what it means to practice sustainability in everyday life.
Tuesday, April 22
Seeding Nature
Presented by: EMCC Sustainability Team
8:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., EMCC Ceremonial Plaza Amphitheatre
Transform and brighten local communities with wildflowers! Participants will learn how to create self-contained seed pods to enhance and revitalize any garden, landscape, or empty space that is in need of some color. Seed pods are self-contained, all natural, pocket-sized gardens. Using a mixture of natural compost, clay, and seeds, you can create a garden anywhere. Materials will be provided.
Sustainable Fitness Walk ‘N Talk Tour
Presented by: EMCC Fitness & Wellness
8:30am-9:00am; 10:00am-10:30am; 11:30am-12:00pm, Student Union
Lyle Bartelt, EMCC Fitness & Wellness Coordinator, will lead a “Walk 'N Talk Tour” to explore EMCC's sustainable features and wildlife habitats, including EMCC’s resident burrowing owls, while getting a 30-minute workout. Participants will enjoy a casual fitness walk approximately 1 mile long. Please bring water bottles and hats. Cameras are allowed.
Wednesday, April 23
Rescued Reptiles
Presented by: Phoenix Herpetological Society
9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, EMCC Plaza Gallery
The Phoenix Herpetological Society (PHS) will be presenting and teaching about reptile conservation with an interactive, hands-on learning experience. PHS will be bringing an assortment of reptiles ranging from tortoises, monitors, lizards, and snakes.
PHS was formed in 2001 with a mission to have a facility to house reptiles until forever homes could be found and to educate people on responsible pet ownership and the importance of conservation and desert safety. PHS is the only local organization to rescue all types of reptilian species and provide animal care, husbandry, and education to increase conservation among these animals.
Thursday, April 24
Feathered Friends
Presented by: Liberty Wildlife
8:30am-9:45am; 10:00am-11:15am; 11:30am-12:45pm, EMCC Plaza Gallery
Liberty Wildlife Rehabilitation Foundation will be presenting the human impact on birds and their environments, and how to help this wildlife survive. They will be bringing live birds to engage participation. Birds nurture the nature of Arizona by providing quality wildlife rehabilitation, environmental education, and conservation services for the community.
Daily Environment Film Series
All films will be shown daily through Earth Week at 11:30 a.m. in the EMCC Student Union.
Monday, April 21: “Human Footprint”
Examines the impact we each make on the world throughout our lifetimes by analyzing everything we consume across the country. From the gasoline we use, to the trash we throw away, this documentary provides stunning representations of just how much one person can consume in a lifetime.
Tuesday, April 22: “Blackfish”
This captivating film traces the history of orcas in captivity leading up to the 2010 killing of a Sea World trainer. Blackfish critically questions the safety and humaneness of confining these intelligent creatures, and will change the way you look at orcas in captivity.
Wednesday, April 23: “Avatar”
Jake Sully is recruited to travel light years to the human outpost on Pandora, where a corporate consortium is mining a rare mineral that is the key to solving Earth's energy crisis. He is given a mission to infiltrate the Na'vi, who have become a major obstacle to mining the precious ore.
Thursday, April 24: “Animal Odd Couples”
Playfully examines unlikely pairings in the animal kingdom, from a crow mothering a meerkat to a chimp bottle-feeding a baby tiger. Zookeepers and animal behaviorists discuss these and other examples of cross-species kinship.
Friday, April 25: “Tapped”
Examines the role of the bottled water industry and its' effects on our health, climate change, pollution, and our reliance on oil. Is access to clean water a basic human right, or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce? This documentary explores these questions as it examines the big business of bottled water.