Over 70 businesses and organizations will be on the Brickyard Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to teach people about food, water, transportation and their connections to nature.
The Earth Fair is an annual event that aims to teach students and community members how to make the world a better place through environmentally friendly and sustainable lifestyle choices.
A primary goal of the event is to educate people on how to make simple lifestyle choices for living in a more sustainable world so future generations can enjoy.
Among the groups at the event will be the Beekeepers Club, an organization devoted to the protection of honeybees and native bees. Club president Mitch Stevens, a Ph.D. student studying veterinary medicine, said that his group will be on the Brickyard mainly to educate people.
“We want to educate the public on simple ways that anybody, even if they don’t want to become a beekeeper, can help bees, including honeybees but also native bees,” Stevens said. “We give examples that are very simple and very easy to do, so that anybody can help.”
Another group in attendance will be the North Carolina Friends of State Parks. President of the organization, Jim Richardson, said his group is coming to the event to urge support and advocacy for the state’s 30-plus National Parks.
“We’re trying to get more members to support state parks, more people to advocate for state parks and more people to talk to their legislators about the budget and the funding,” Richardson said. “With a system that’s free to visit in the end, it’s all dependent on the state budget. We’re always looking for people to speak up, make noise about the value of state parks and to fund them and support them.”
Students will have a wide variety of groups to talk to about an array of topics relating to sustainability. Members of the NC State Crime Prevention Unit will be at the Earth Fair, with a display of alternative transportation and patrol methods utilized on campus. They will also be helping to register bikes for students.
The NC State branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) will also be at the event, as well as LimeBike, the Counseling Center and several other student organizations. The event is open to the public, including children, families and people of all ages.
“We just want people to be more aware of what’s available to them that they might not have realized, especially students that are from out of state,” Richardson said. “We want everybody to know what treasures we have out there, the naturally wonderful state parks. Going to enjoy a waterfall, or a hiking trail […] and appreciating some of the natural beauty of North Carolina. State parks are forever, and we intend to preserve our natural heritage for everybody, for future generations to enjoy.”
Stevens says students should come out and enjoy the Earth Fair because it is a very well-run and informative event.
“It’s a lot of fun, and there’s tons of groups out there,” Stevens said. “Lots of student organizations that have great messages to local businesses that have things for sale. There’s a lot of free giveaways that are also beneficial for the environment. You can get free plants. It’s a wonderful experience to come and learn about sustainability.”
While each group has an individual focus, all organizations at the event have a common goal of teaching people how to make manageable changes to lessen environmental impacts and conserve nature for the next generations.
“Everybody gets to learn about sustainability and ways they can help out their community, but also the environment at the same time,” Stevens said. “They can do simple things that are very helpful.”
