The Marshall University Sustainability Department is celebrating Earth Day 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 22 on campus.
Organizations and businesses such as the Huntington Museum of Art, the Greater Huntington Parks and Recreation District, Huntington Cycle & Sport, the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, the Four Pole Watershed Association, Healthy Life Market and Chipotle are coming to campus to provide environmental education.
Local car dealership Dutch Miller will also showcase an electric car.
Sustainability Education Assistant Capri Billings said she wanted to showcase something students could relate to.
Local herpetologist Larry Cartmill will bring a collection of snakes, and Lucas Farms will bring baby goats.
Billings said attendees will take a tour of the green roof that was installed on the Arthur Weisberg Engineering Complex.
Billings said there will be arts and crafts events involving non-toxic, washable paints and recycled materials collected on campus such as 20 ounce and two liter bottles.
A campus-wide geocaching event is planned for the event. Geocaching is an outdoor activity in which participants use a global positioning system to find hidden containers called “caches.”
Billings said she hopes local grade school students are able to attend the event as a field trip.
“We would really love to get the kids over here,” Billings said. “Especially because a lot of these schools are losing funding for field trips and things like that. This is something that is inexpensive. You come out here, you get [the kids] on campus. Not only are they learning about what’s going on in the world, but maybe we can spark some passion about wanting to go to college.”
Patrick Breeden can be contacted at [email protected].