Vendors from Ball State University, Muncie and national organizations will fill University Green Tuesday as part of the university's Earth Day celebration.
Layne Cameron, Ball State media relations manager, said the event is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it will feature activities such as a rock wall and geocaching. The event is sponsored by the Natural Resources Club, he said.
NRC President Lisa Nicklas said this year's theme is "No Student Left Inside," which is what all the activities will focus on.
"That has been a growing interest in the environmental field," she said. "There has been a growing trend of people spending time inside and avoiding going outside to do anything."
This year's theme stems from the book "Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder," she said.
Eighteen organizations will set up booths on University Green where they will provide informative activities about the environment. Vendors include Students for a Sustainable Campus, Cardinal Greenway and the Animal Rescue Foundation, she said.
NRC has also organized two of its own activities, Race to Recycle and Geocaching Adventures, during the celebration, Nicklas said.
Race to Recycle is a game in which participants will have a set amount of time to see how many recyclable items they can place in the appropriate recycling bins, she said.
Geocaching Adventures will be similar to a scavenger hunt, she said, but it will involve GPS devices. The organization borrowed four of the devices from the Department of Natural Resources, and students will need to provide their Ball State IDs as collateral because the mechanisms are expensive, she said.
The day of events will also include award ceremonies, Nicklas said.
In one presentation at 11 a.m., a student will receive a $1,000 scholarship and an electric car for the university, she said.
Jagjeet Chahal won the awards after submitting a video about alternative fuel sources to the Miles Revolution Contest, which was sponsored by the Web site No Gas Required.
Nicklas said the Council on the Environment will also have an award ceremony at noon. The council will recognize club and faculty members for excellence in environmental awareness on campus, she said.
The day of events has been organized by NRC since Earth Day began in 1970, Nicklas said.
"It's kind of a long-tradition kind of thing," she said. "It's also part of our mission statement to increase environmental awareness on campus."
What to do on Earth DayTIME:10 a.m. to 3 p.m.VENUE:University Green
EVENTS
- Rock wall
- Geocaching Adventures
- 18 organizations with booths of informative activities
- Race to Recycle
- Award ceremony
OTHER ACTIVITIESBelow is a compiled list of other ways to celebrate the 28th Earth Day.
- Get free Blue Bags at Marsh to recycle
- Turn off lights when you leave a room
- Open the windows
- Watch "Captain Planet" on YouTube
- Pick up trash on your way to class
- Recycle this newspaper when you are done reading it
- Walk or ride your bike instead of driving
- Plant a tree
- Take half the time in the shower than usual
- Eat an organic meal
- Buy compact florescent light bulbs
- Volunteer at Minnetrista
- Bring your own bag to the grocery store
- Turn off your surge protector when it is not in use
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