Earth Day Events Planned at UMaine April 22
Contact: Ashlee Lynch, 581-1468; George Manlove, 581-3756
ORONO — Earth Day events at the University of Maine April 22 include free bicycle tune-ups, canvas grocery bag and cedar sapling giveaways, energy-conservation exhibits, and a workshop on converting a York Village building to a self-sustaining residence for up to 20 students.
Events begin at 10:15 a.m. at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center.
The day includes remarks by President Robert Kennedy, Kenda Scheele, senior associate dean of students, Jeff Hunt, director of Campus Recreation, Janet Waldron, vice president for administration and finance, and a presentation by Paul Mayewski, director of the UMaine Climate Change Institute and author of The Ice Chronicles. The afternoon includes a keynote address by Jim Merkel, author of Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth. Merkel is co-director of the Vermont-based Global Living Project and former coordinator of sustainability at Dartmouth College.
An electric car will be displayed at the front entrance of the student recreation and fitness center, where a Green Campus Initiative volunteer will be on hand to tune up bicycles at no cost. Inside the fitness center will be: a demonstration of low-impact camping; food samples made with locally grown ingredients prepared by Black Bear Dining; and exhibits on solar, biomass and geothermal energy production, recycling and public transportation.
“Earth Day at UMaine historically has offered creative and innovative ideas on conservation and sustainability, but this year, we are particularly enthusiastic about the speakers, workshops and exhibits,” says Waldron, whose office underwrites many of the Earth Day activities and those of the UMaine Sustainability Alliance. “The need for action on energy conservation and sustainability initiatives has never been more immediate, and we are very excited to bring some innovative ideas to the community.”
In her remarks on Earth Day, Waldron will discuss UMaine’s master plan and steps being taken to reduce energy consumption, promote conservation and cut carbon emissions on campus.
Creating a sustainable, energy-efficient residence hall at York Village — with its own vegetable gardens and energy resources for up to 20 UMaine students by 2010 — was proposed by students in a peace studies class, PAX 370, taught by adjunct faculty member Emily Markides.
Markides is president of the International Eco-Peace Community ESTIA (EcoPeace, Sustainability, Training, International Affiliations) and a longtime proponent of permaculture, a design system for the creation of sustainable living environments.
Markides and John Kastelein, the lead student coordinator for the project, have been meeting over the last few months with students, faculty and others interested in creating a prototype eco-village on campus. Richard Graves, an architect with WBRC Architects/Engineers in Bangor and former member of the U.S. Green Building Council, has assisted in the planning.
More than 100 students and at least 15 faculty members have registered for an “eco-charrette” planning session being held at the York complex the morning of April 22.
Being designed as a model living and learning residential community, the project will illustrate how conservation and sustainability methods can be employed inexpensively in a realistic living environment, Kastelein says.
Engineering student Michael Parker of the Green Campus Initiative plans to design a computer model over the summer that incorporates the design and sustainability features. The retrofitted York building will be an energy-efficient LEED-certified building.
The project also will include a walking path lined with fruit trees and flowers between York Village and Chapel Street, where a small private alternative school currently operates on the permaculture concept, according to Markides.
Earth Day activities also are supported by the UMaine Division of Student Affairs, Auxiliary Services, University Bookstore and Green Campus Initiative, in addition to the Office of Administration and Finance.