Earth Day / ‘Healthy Planet, Healthy You’ / MCCC hosts 15th annual event
Concerned about sustaining a healthy environment, families and friends gathered at the 15th annual Monroe County Earth Day Expo from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Gerald Welch Health Education Building at Monroe County Community College, 1555 S. Raisinville Rd.
For more than 40 years, Earth Day has been celebrated around the world by people concerned about preserving the planet. For Monroe, the earth-friendly event has been cancelled for the past two years due to COVID.
"We’re excited to be able to have the event this year,” said Dan Rock, Recycling and Green Community Program Coordinator. “We usually have 500 to 600 attend and, this year, we’ve added outside activities and have more than 40 exhibitors.”
Bedford High School senior Morgan Leonhard greeted guests as they arrived. The National Honor Society volunteer handed out passports for the day’s raffle, which included a ticket to cast a vote for the “Wings of Change” school project.
This year’s theme was “Healthy Planet, Healthy You” and featured an array of free activities, music, food trucks and exhibits like the one presented by Jack Burns, Jr., director of campus planning and facilities at MCCC.
According to Burns, since 2016, the college’s energy efficient and earth-friendly geo-thermal HVAC system and recycling programs have proved to be beneficial to the campus in both electrical and natural gas savings.
As a result of the system, Burns estimates last year’s electrical savings can be compared to the cost of electricity to power 19.7 homes per year or saving 120 acres of forest land. More forests help reduce climate change by capturing and storing carbon.
DTE representatives Carol Farrell and Bonnie Masserant hosted a potting station for children of all ages to learn about planting. Using biodegradable containers, future gardeners had their choice of green bean, pumpkin, or sunflower seeds. Seven-year-old Sebastian Yates, a first grader at Manor Elementary School, potted pumpkin seeds to take home.
"We’re using biodegradable containers so that they can be planted directly in the ground,” Masserant said.
Dressed as bees, beekeepers Melanie Davis of Petersburg and Bill Bray of Monroe shared information about bees and what flowers to plant to attract them. Over the years, the bee population has rapidly declined due to global warming, the use of pesticides and loss of habitat.
"There are some communities like Ann Arbor that are promoting ‘No Mow May.’ It’s to allow the grass to grow for the month of May so that bees and other pollinators have a food source,” Davis said. “To attract bees, plant sunflowers and culinary herbs like chives and it’s really important not to use any chemicals when planting.”
Among the various exhibits, the event also featured the Climate Literacy Green Schools Program, “Wings of Change” school project and environmental educational efforts like the Michigan Green Schools Program.
Sterling Elementary School teacher McKenzie Swiontoniowski, her daughters, Finley, 5, and Harper, 9 and their friend, Charlie Smart, 10, spent time admiring the school project entries.
"This year, our school entered a white dove using coffee filters for feathers,” said Swiontoniowski. “The nest is created out of a cardboard box and the brown is recycled paper bags from breakfast.”
Since beginning her teaching career at Sterling, Swiontoniowski, a first-grade educator, has led the Green Schools program at the school.
The Michigan Green Schools program partners with schools to help them conserve energy and become environmental stewards. Activities focus on reduce, reuse, recycle, energy, and environmental protection. Green Schools received a Green School flag and certificate signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Monroe County Commissioner David Swartout and MCCC Trustee William Bruck presented the awards to 12 Monroe County schools.
Emerald awards were given to Eyler and Sterling elementary schools and Triumph Academy. Evergreen awards went to Meadow Montessori School, Niedermeier and St. John the Baptist elementary schools, St. Joseph Catholic School, St. Mary Middle School Campus, and St. Michael the Archangel Early Elementary School. Fred W. Ritter and Mason Central elementary schools and New Bedford Academy received green awards.
Outside exhibitors included food trucks, YMCA lawn activities, Monroe County Library System’s bookmobile, and plug-in electric vehicle information sponsored by Consumer Energy. An electric vehicle show, “Drive Electric Earth Day,” had been planned but was cancelled. No additional information was provided.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: MCCC hosts 15th annual Monroe County Earth Day expo
