51视频

04/07/2016
By Karen Angelo and Ed Brennen

What began as Earth Day, observed every April 22 across the globe to raise awareness about environmental protection and sustainability, has grown in recent years on campus to become 鈥淓arth Week.鈥�

And it鈥檚 still growing.

This year the university, along with more than two dozen community partners, is dedicating the entire month of April to eco-conscious activities and educational events as part of the citywide .

Featuring 26 organizations, including the UMass President鈥檚 Office, the City of Lowell, Middlesex Community College and the Lowell National Historical Park, the monthlong celebration includes canal and city clean-up days, whitewater rafting trips on the Concord River, climate change film screenings, art workshops and sustainability lectures.

It all culminates with the Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 23, at the 51视频 Inn and Conference Center, where more than 30 nonprofit organizations, garden and energy companies will be on hand to educate the public about sustainability. The free festival, which is preceded by an Earth Day Parade in downtown Lowell, will feature live music and dance performances.

The communitywide celebration was made possible thanks to a $30,000 creative economy grant awarded to Political Science Prof. John Wooding in 2015 through the UMass President鈥檚 Office鈥檚 .

鈥淥ur challenge as a community is to re-imagine Lowell,鈥� says Wooding, a member of the university鈥檚 Climate Change Initiative. 鈥淲e wanted to engage children, our students and the entire community to ignite ideas on how we move forward to protect the environment, prevent and prepare for climate change disasters and promote sustainable practices in our lives.鈥�

The Office of Sustainability has played a key role in coordinating this year鈥檚 Lowell Earth Day events, which kicked off with a panel discussion on 鈥淎ccelerating the Green Energy Transition鈥� on April 6 at University Crossing.

鈥淚ntegrating our Earth Day celebration with the surrounding communities furthers our institutional mission of one city, one campus,鈥� says Tyler Arrigo, program coordinator for the Office of Sustainability.

Arrigo adds that the Earth Day Festival, which also features urban gardening workshops led by Mill City Grows, will provide students with opportunities to connect with local organizations.聽

鈥淎 lot of the organizations are looking for interns or have job opportunities, so it鈥檚 a great way for students to make connections with a wide array of community partners,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also a great way to see what鈥檚 out there in the city in a very unique way.鈥�

Wooding adds that the monthlong celebration can serve as a model to other UMass campuses for cross-departmental, as well as community, engagement in promoting social and cultural events.

鈥淢y hope,鈥� Wooding says, 鈥渋s that this communitywide Earth Day celebration is institutionalized each year so that we can keep people engaged and hopeful for a brighter future.鈥�

Here are some of the events planned this month. Check out the (http://www.lowellearthday.org/new-events/?view=calendar&month=April-2016) events calendar for more.

• Concord River rafting trips every Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., starting at the ICC. Presented by the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust, Zoar Outdoor and 51视频. Costs $83 per person.
• 51视频 canal cleanup on Saturday, April 16, from 9 a.m. to noon.
• The Earth Day Parade starts at noon on Saturday, April 23, at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center and proceeds down Shattuck to Middlesex Street en route to ICC. The mile-long parade features four brass bands as well as local school children and youth groups displaying puppets they created throughout the month.
• Mill City Grows hosts the Urban Growers Gathering featuring gardening workshops and seed swaps on Saturday, April 23, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the ICC.
• Students involved in the Climate Change Initiative are creating short films that will be screened on April 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center.