The annual Earth Fair, taking place in the Brickyard, promoted sustainability and energy-conscious measures by various student organizations and campus partners. Students gathered at individual booths to learn about several eco-friendly initiatives on campus.
Earth Fair takes place every year on Earth Day. Students gathered at booths, mainly manned by their peers, to learn and win prizes.
Madeline Preiss, a second-year studying political science, attended the Earth Fair as a representative of her club, the Environmental Student Association. Price and her counterpart Camryn Jefferson, a second-year studying zoology, worked the booth for the second time.
“We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainability and environmental advocacy,” Price said. The Environmental Student Association was also the first environmentally focused student group on campus.
Kyra Levau is a fourth-year studying Environmental Science and represented the Zero Waste Wolves Club at NC State at this year’s Earth Fair, associated with the Waste Reduction and Recycling Office. It is the club’s second time attending the Earth Fair.
“We’re just trying to raise awareness of students adapting the zero-waste lifestyle and we’re also selling some of our handmade soaps that we made and also trying to teach students about ways that not only they can buy products to transition but make their own products to be more zero-waste,” Lavau said.
The Zero Waste Wolves Club is an organization dedicated to transitioning into zero-waste lifestyles and encourages students to do the same, according to Lavau.
“We think education and outreach is the most important tool that we can use in order to engage with students and to teach them about the importance of zero-waste, especially how they can do it on campus, and within a student’s budget and lifestyle,” Lavau added.
Mary Schrader, a second-year studying history, and Ariel Adams, a graduate studying business administration, represented campus partners. Schrader works for the NC State Bookstore and Adams is an NC State Dining intern. Both were present to spread awareness for NC State’s own initiatives to improve sustainability within various sects of the campus.
“We use compostable plates for Rave! Events, we also have compostable cups, and we have paper towel composting receptacles,” Shader said, sharing some of the initiatives that NC State bolsters to promote campus-wide sustainability.
