Earth Day activities are held nationwide and at RCC it was no exception, co-sponsored by the Green Team and by ASG.
Earth Day, founded by Gaylord Nelson, is celebrated annually on April 22. Nelson created the movement in 1969 after witnessing the massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California making it a national day to focus on the environment. Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and led to the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts.
Dorothy Swain, Science Department chair, explains, “I think it’s important for RCC to celebrate Earth day because environmental issues have become politically polarizing, and it is important to help students think objectively about the big ideas and to present information in a welcoming, non-partisan way.”
“If anyone is looking for any way to become more active in the community, the Earth Day celebration at RCC is a great way to start,” expressed RCC student, Madisyn Tucker.
At Riverside Campus, RCC had over 20 local organizations, including non-profits, government agencies and businesses, come to talk about what they do to promote sustainability. Students also held tours of the Higher Education Center, which holds LEED Platinum status; a green building-certification that recognizes structures with best-in-class building strategies and practices.
Redwood Campus joined in on the festivities by hosting music, food and a variety of presenters, including Master Gardeners, Energy Trust of Oregon, animal visitors from Wildlife Images, and several food vendors.
RCC students also got involved in the Earth Day celebration. Chemistry students created posters with their research on environmental topics, such as the science behind acid rain and how paper recycling works.
Tucker stated, “Advice that I would give to those who are looking into participating in Earth Day next year is to definitely do it! I feel Earth Day is important because we all live on Earth, as it is currently our only option to sustain life, so take a day to appreciate her abilities to do so. Hopefully we can learn from our harmful acts against her, to prolong her life.”