Earth Day 2011

Students showcasing art, community, environment
Saturday, April 23, 2011 - campus-wide

Once again, College of the Atlantic is inviting the greater Maine community to an Earth Day celebration. This year it will be held on Saturday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The celebration this year is being organized entirely by students, who are enthusiastically sharing their talents, creations and expertise.

Tentative schedule:

All Day:
Music at The Shrine
Children’s activities on the field
Mural painting on the Red Bricks
Marketplace of food and crafts in Gates
Acadia School of Massage in TAB
Clothes and Book swap on the green

Hourly Schedule:

10-11 a.m.        Idea sharing panels - Gates
11 a.m.-noon Music - Gates
                             Bird Walk - meet at the Dorr Museum)
                             Circus Workshop - Field
11-3                     Serendipity thriftshop - Field
Noon-1 p.m.   Dramatic Storytelling - Red Bricks
                             Talk on Hancock County Transition Town (location to be determined)
                             World Percussion - Field
                             Bike Clean-Up Station - Field
1-2 p.m.            Bird Walk - meet at Dorr Museum
                             Talk on Bar Harbor as a Bike-Friendly Town - Red Bricks
                             Talk on Turning Food Waste into Bio Fuel (location to be determined)
                             Games of Cricket and Ultimate Frisbee - Green
2-3 p.m.           Dance Workshop - The Shrine
                             Soccer - Green
                             Circus Workshop - Field
                             Electric Vehicle Explanation - Studio 5
3-4 p.m.           Talk on Bar Harbor as a Bike-Friendly Town - Field
                             Holi - Red Bricks, Shrine and Green

COA's student-run Earth Day combines environmental and social awareness with a variety of artistic and folkloric festivities. Among the arts activities are an African dance workshop by COA alumnus Tawanda Chabikwa who has returned to teach dance at the college for a term, music performances, a drumming circle, storytelling, face painting, art displays, mural-making and circus activities.

Students will also be offering bird walks, a greenhouse plant sale, tours of the George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History, short documentary screenings, primitive skills workshops, talks about composting, about creating butanol, about the possibility of transitioning to more sustainable, local communities, also book swaps, clothes swaps, and a bike clean-up station.

Last year's popular Indian Holi Festival will be repeated. This rite of spring is celebrated by people throwing naturally created pigments in the air and at each other, delightfully decorating faces, clothing, and the world around in bright color.

The activities are all family-friendly; children are invited to participate as they wish.

Says organizer Jose Merlo, "This year's Earth Day celebration is not be missed! Saturday, April 23 will be a delightful reminder that the earth is something to celebrate and cherish. Join the party...leave inspired!"

Throughout the day, local food vendors and COA students will be offering a range of food - but feel free to bring your own food, as well as musical instruments, bikes for cleaning, and old clothes for a donation to the Serendipity thrift shop.

Events will go on rain or shine. For more information, contact Merlo at jmerlo@coa.edu or 460-2239, 207-288-5015, or visit www.coa.edu.

Photo of Holi Celebration by Urs Riggenbach.