It was sunny and 80 degrees the day the Earth Day Festival was held—a perfect day to spend a couple of hours outside and listen to some live music while learning about how to protect the environment.

There were many student and staff performers throughout the day who had the chance to share the day with the community.

 “It was exciting and fun in the moment and it felt good afterward,” said Sophomore Brandon Roberts about his first chance to perform solo live.

The event was planned by Students for Sustainability, and many other campus clubs got involved. The Food Recovery Network brought fliers and volunteer sign-ups and held a raffle for a free water bottle. Common Ground brought a selection of free clothes from the Gender Confirming Closet to encourage sustainable clothes shopping.

Nature Club brought growing kits, allowing students the opportunity to plant different herb and flower seeds to take home and nurture. Dare To Care brought a fun game to learn about sustainable and non-sustainable menstrual products and sex toys. They also gave away buttons, bracelets and stickers.

WVKC brought a special WVKC “No Planet B” t-shirt print to the event. Students could use items from the Share Shop or print on their own clothes. Chemistry Club brought the supplies for students to make their own sustainable deodorant.

UNICEF was also there, selling plants to raise money for children in Yemen. There were small planets, such as 2-dollar bamboo, and larger flowers.

“It was super exciting to see how many students and faculty members were eager to participate,” said Students for Sustainability President and sophomore Alyssa Stringer. “As anyone active in spaces of environmental activism (or activism in general) knows, the work we do can be draining sometimes, so I’m glad this event was able to create a space where we could all have a good time and celebrate what we are fighting for.”