Celebrating Earth Day: MCV Campus activities draw a crowd

By Mike Porter

The sky was clear and the crowd was huge for the Virginia Commonwealth University MCV Campus celebration of Earth Day at Kontos Plaza.

A similar celebration scheduled Wednesday on the Monroe Park Campus was postponed by rain and will take place on Friday, April 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The MCV Earth Day celebration included more than a dozen exhibitors, who promoted healthy eating, composting, environmentally friendly transportation, energy conservation, recycling and smoking cessation. Visitors received reusable grocery bags, thermoses and biodegradable cups.

“I’m incredibly impressed that so many people came and keep coming,” said Jordan Starbuck, VCU sustainability coordinator. “We worked really hard to make this a success and with the weather cooperating, we’ve gotten a big crowd.”

The lines were consistently long in front of a table where free plants were being given away. The table was sponsored by the new Green Unity 4 VCU chapter currently forming on the MCV Campus.

“Reaching out to this campus is something we’ve wanted to do,” said Amanda Schutt, Green Unity 4 VCU officer. “They have expertise in some subjects that we typically haven’t talked about like smoking cessation and better nutrition, and we want to tap into those resources.”

The MCV celebration is one of a week’s worth of Earth Day activities at VCU, including educational speakers, movies and musical entertainment. The activities are part of VCU’s Year of the Environment, which highlights the contributions and leadership that universities can bring to further improve Virginia’s sustainable practices and the impact on natural resources.

Friday’s celebration on the Monroe Park Campus kicks off at 11 a.m. at Compass Point and will feature vendors, food, arts and crafts, games and other activities. An “eco-chic” fashion show will be held from noon until 2 p.m. at Compass Point.