5XÉçÇø at Stark commemorates Earth Day 2016 with the presentation of events to inspire the awareness of environmental responsibility and to improve the appreciation for our planet’s natural resources. Kent State Stark has partnered with the following sponsors to present these events: The Repository, The Print Shop of Canton Inc. and Brewer-Garrett. The event will take place at Kent State Stark, 6000 Frank Avenue NW in Jackson Township, and is free and open to the public.
Sunday, April 24 from 1 – 4 p.m.: Kent State Stark will present the Earth Day Celebration at the Campus Center and Campus Pond area. Attendees will enjoy a family-friendly afternoon filled with environmental educational activities, entertainment, demonstrations and discussions for all ages.
The event schedule includes:
- Children’s Area: Face painting, three-legged and sack races, mock gem dig, crafts, coloring contest, photo opportunities and much more. To enter the coloring contest for a chance to win a backpack filled with prizes, please print the scene from the event web page, located at www.kent.edu/stark/earth-day-celebration, and bring the completed artwork to the event. Winners will be selected and contacted during the week following the event.
- Tree-Planting Ceremony: Kent State Stark Dean Denise Seachrist and members of the campus grounds crew will plant a new sapling.
- Singer Foster Brown will perform original children’s nature songs and stories while he accompanies himself on the guitar, banjo, fiddle, dulcimer and various percussion instruments. He encourages the audience to participate in the lively songs with hand motions, call-and-response and sing-alongs.
- Tree Campus USA Presentation: The Arbor Day Foundation will formally honor 5XÉçÇø at Stark as a 2015 Tree Campus USA University for its dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship. This is the seventh consecutive year that Kent State Stark has received this distinction.
- Bugs Unlimited: Entomologist Jim Smolka will display his extensive collection of mounted insects other invertebrates from around the world, as well as live specimens that include spiders, scorpions, centipedes and millipedes. He will provide information about the natural history of each of the animals and answer questions.
- Guided Nature Walk: Kent State Stark Biology Professor Robert Hamilton will guide a group around the pond/wetland area as he gives an informative talk about the plants and animals that reside at the site, which is officially named by the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat.
- Guided Green Energy Tour: Kent State Stark Senior Facilities Manager Brian Gardner will guide a group through the new, state-of-the-art Science and Nursing Building, explaining the many features, including the wind turbine, that contribute to the facility’s LEED® Gold certification.
Throughout the event, various Kent State Stark student organizations and contributing groups will conduct demonstrations and discuss how to positively impact our world. Participating organizations include: Akron Zoo, Beech Creek Botanical Garden & Nature Preserve, Brewer-Garrett Company, Canton Audubon Society, Canton Country Day School, Green Energy Ohio, ODNR Division of Forestry, Stark Parks, Stark Soil and Water Conservation District, Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, The Ohio State University Extension, Vegetarian Club of Canton and Wildlife Habitat Conservancy. Kent State Stark’s security bicycle and vehicle, a Ford Escape Hybrid, will also be on display.
For more information on Kent State Stark’s Earth Day Celebration, call 330-499-9600 or visit www.kent.edu/stark/earth-day-celebration.