Posted on Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Westminster College will celebrate Earth Week April 17-24 with a full schedule of activities.
The Earth Day 5K, sponsored by the Sierra Student Coalition, kicks off the week Saturday, April 17, at 9:30 a.m. at Memorial Field House. All proceeds will be designated for improvements to Westminster's Field Station and to support its environmental program for urban youth. Registration forms are available online at www.westminster.edu/earthday5k.
Trail repair, organized by Alpha Phi Omega and Dr. Ann Throckmorton, Westminster professor of biology, will follow the race at 10:30 a.m. at the College Woods trails.
Earth Day Open Door Worship, a vespers service organized by Westminster's Chapel Office, is scheduled for Sunday, April 18, at 7 p.m. at the Field Station's Edmiston Labyrinth. Music will be provided by the Praise Team and the Gospel Choir. Rain location will be Anderson Amphitheater.
Audio Visual Services will present "Green AV for Your Home/Dorm" showcase Monday, April 19, from 11:40 a.m.-12:40 p.m. in the AV classroom (McKelvey Campus Center 178). Pizza and punch will be provided.
A display on "Sustainable Living and Organic Farm Practices at Villa Maria Community Center" with Juliane Arena and John Moreira is scheduled for Tuesday, April 20, from noon-1:30 p.m. in the TUB.
Tree planting at the Field Station will follow at 2 p.m. The event is organized by Westminster's Chemistry Club and Dr. Clarence Harms, director of the Field Station.
"Bicycles and More" transportation display with John Kwiat will be held Wednesday, April 21, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the TUB.
Peggy Cox, Westminster professor of art, will lead a nature journal sketching workshop at 3 p.m. at the Field Station. This event is by reservation only.
On Earth Day-Thursday, April 22-Sodexo Dining Services will sponsor an all-day beverage bottle awareness display in the TUB and "Eat Lower on the Food Chain" during lunch in McGinness Dining Hall.
A highlight of the week will be featured speaker Dr. Conrad Volz, assistant professor of environmental and occupational health at the Graduate School of Public Health and director of the Center for Healthy Environments and Communities at the University of Pittsburgh. He will present "Potential Public Health Impacts of Marcellus Shale Gas Extraction Activities and Underground Gas Storage Facilities" Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Phillips Lecture Hall of the Hoyt Science Resources Center.
"Marcellus Shale gas extraction is a very deep drilling technique requiring extensive water use and chemicals to release the deeply held natural gas," said Dr. Helen Boylan, Westminster associate professor of chemistry and coordinator of the week's events. "Much of the environmental and health impact of this novel drilling technique is unknown. Dr. Volz' talk will shed light on the current drilling practices and their effects in our state."
Volz' presentation is sponsored by Westminster's Environmental Science/Studies Program.
An e-recycling drive for used electronic equipment, sponsored by AV Services, will be held Saturday, April 24, from 9 a.m.-noon at the Hoyt Science Resources Center loading dock. Items collected will be recycled by A GreenSpan Computer Recycling, a certified and approved E-Steward recycler. Nominal fees apply for each item dropped off.
Contact Boylan at (724) 946-6293 or e-mail boylanhm@westminster.edu for additional information.
