SBU to Host Eco-Fest Celebration

A campuswide Eco-Fest celebrating Earth Week is planned for the week of April 19-24 at St. Bonaventure University. A number of events are being co-sponsored by the Recycling Club, BonaVoyageurs, BonaResponds, Voices and the Sustainability Coordinating Committee. Scheduled activities run from Monday, April 19, through Saturday, April 24, concluding with an Eco-Fest Fair on April 24.

The week begins with the talk “Energy Conversation” given by Philip Winger, associate vice president for facilities, at 7 p.m. April 19 in Dresser Auditorium of the John J. Murphy Professional Building. Participants will be encouraged to reduce power consumption, open blinds for natural light and turn off power switches in empty rooms.

A coffeehouse and Recycled-Craft Fair will occur the evening of Wednesday, April 21, in the Thomas Merton Center. Fair Trade coffee will be served. (Fair Trade principles include fair price, fair labor conditions and direct trade.) Participants at the craft fair will be encouraged to take part in making crafts with recycled materials. Betsy Priester, a Franklinville resident, will be conducting the craft session from 7 to 9 p.m.

Butler Gym will be open from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 22, for a clothing swap. Students may bring unwanted clothing in order to trade with other students.

The Eco-Fest Committee will host a campout Thursday evening behind Francis Hall, also functioning as a tent drive for Haiti coordinated by BonaResponds. Visitors may leave their tents behind. The tents will be shipped by BonaResponds to needy locations in the disaster zone. A bonfire will take place at 9:30 p.m.

SBU will celebrate Arbor Day early on Friday, April 23, with a tree planting on the northeast corner of Friedsam Memorial Library at 2 p.m. A Sugar Maple has been donated by Schnichtel’s Nursery. This event is the first step for St. Bonaventure University to receive Tree Campus USA status.

Also on April 23, Susan Avery, a naturalist from the Pfeiffer Nature Center in Portville, will conduct walking tours along the Allegheny River Valley Trail, showcasing local flora and other natural phenomena. Participants should meet behind the Reilly Center at 3:30 p.m. A “Treeture” hunt will accompany the walk, in which students will identify trees around campus for a prize.

The Eco-Fest culminates Saturday, April 24, with an Eco-Fair, bringing campus and community together, including appearances by BonaResponds, Recycling Club, Canticle Farm and others. VOICES, a campus women’s issue group, will hold an organic bake sale. Proceeds from the bake sale will be used to purchase wildflower seeds for the Allegheny River Valley Trail. Music will be provided by Marco Polo and the Allegheny River Band. The Eco-Fair will take place from noon to 3 p.m. in front of Hickey Dining Hall. The public is welcome.