Anita Calcagno, a master gardener at Fenner Nature Center reads out the name of a plant written on a stick Sunday afternoon at Fenner Nature Center. Earth Day Extravaganza was put on with the help of Fenner Nature Center, the FW Graduate Student Organization, and several other MSU student groups. Aaron Snyder/The State News.
The Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment, or RISE, and Michigan State University Student Organic Farm are co-sponsoring an Earth Day celebration Friday, April 22.
From 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., RISE will host various Earth Day festivities near the Bailey GREENhouse. Activities to commemorate the day include the construction of native bee hotels, a shiitake log mushroom workshop, a bike repair clinic, work in the Bailey GREENhouse and sidewalk chalk art.
Then, at 1 p.m., students will bike from Bailey to the MSU Student Organic Farm where the celebration will continue until 4 with tours of the farm, a raffle for a bike, a bonfire and multiple informative tables on topics such as composting, beekeeping and community-supported agriculture.
MSU Student Organic Farm is a 15-acre, certified organic year-round teaching and production farm that seeks to immerse students, trainees and volunteers in hands-on farming.
RISE is an interdisciplinary living-learning community focused on sustainability and environmental stewardship. Both programs are looking to raise awareness about their missions and about stewardship through these Earth Day celebrations, RISE Program Director Laurie Thorp said.
“A lot of students don't know about the Student Organic Farm or Bailey farm and we think they're pretty important spaces and places for MSU undergraduates and graduates,” Thorp said. “And I think it's important to take time out on Earth Day to do something that moves us one step forward in our community engagement around how to support stewardship of our campus. So, we're trying to make that easy for students.”
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