Celebrate Earth Day with Sustainable State College

Sustainable State College, the borough’s sustainability division, is hosting an Earth Day celebration from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, at the State College Borough Municipal Building and Sidney Friedman Parklet.

Earth Day was first recognized in 1970, when the junior senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, in his concern for the deteriorating environment in the U.S., created the idea for a teach-in on college campuses across the country. April 22 was selected to align with the week between students’ spring break and final exams.

However, Earth Day soon gained national media attention, which then inspired 20 million Americans to demonstrate in streets and parks against the growing negative health and environmental impacts caused by the rapidly growing industrial advances of the time.

Earth Day soon became an annual celebration and helped encourage the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, which would be essential to the passing of multiple environmental laws, like the National Environmental Education Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and more.

To celebrate Earth Day, community members are invited to attend the local celebration that will feature multiple activities for attendees to enjoy, along with live music and food vendors. Food vendors in the parklet include Carter’s Table, Cake Shop by Tati, Juana’s, Brazilian Munchies, Idou Coffee Co. and Classic Cones.

Live music will occur during the following time windows:

• Noon to 12:45 p.m. — Doug Irwin
• 1 to 1:45 p.m. — Code Blue
• 2 to 3 p.m. — Eric Ian Farmer & Ady Martinez
• 3:15 to 4 p.m. — The Triple A Blues Band

Attendees can learn how to build a bluebird house with supplies provided by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, create a seed globe from native Pennsylvania seeds and compost to plant in garden beds, paint rocks with Climate Concerns that will be placed in different areas in State College and enjoy craft activities hosted by Centre LifeLink.

Additional activities are scheduled throughout the day in the State College Borough Municipal Building.

Adam Swartz will host a puppet-building workshop from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m.

A live animal exhibit will occur from noon to 2 p.m. courtesy of Centre Wildlife Care. This organization helps care for animals who are injured, orphaned and sick to rehabilitate them to be released back into the wild.

A pub quiz style Earth Day trivia game will take place from 12:30 to 2 p.m.

Learn to create handmade watercolors from soils during a watercolor workshop led by Zoils & Pigments from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Workshop attendees can also use the watercolors to paint during the workshop.

State College Borough Parks and Trees Division will lead a 1-mile tree walk around downtown State College in honor of National Arbor Day. The walk will be from 1 to 2 p.m. and a bike tour will be from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Additionally, the State College Bird Club will lead a bird walk around the downtown area from 2 to 3 p.m.

A presentation on the best practices for stormwater management and Pennsylvania lawn fertilizer laws that are applicable to homeowners will be hosted from 2 to 3 p.m. Additionally, a workshop on understanding climate change will occur from 2 to 4 p.m.

Christina Marquez will lead a yoga practice inspired by the four elements of earth, air, fire and water. Participants must bring their own mat and are asked to wear clothes that allow them to move freely.

Local environmental organizations will be available at the event for further climate related discussions.