Earth Day Festival occurs on the quad

From live animals to edible insects in a variety of flavors, the annual Earth Day festival brought a fun and unique approach to environmental awareness. Troy’s Naturalist Club, Marine Biology Club and College of Science and Engineering held the event on the quad last Friday afternoon.

Those who attended were able to learn about the environment with cyanotype art, live animals, educational zines and artistic activities. While some students explored the exotic, others focused on sustainable style through a swap shop meant to keep fast fashion out of the landfill.

"I just brought my clothes that I want to get rid of, because I'm graduating and the people who walk by here if they want to grab them, they can,” said Victoria Stutts, a senior psychology major from Charlotte, North Carolina. “I enjoy that I’m giving my clothes a second life.

“One of these shorts I've had for 10 years and have so many memories with. I'm glad that someone else can reuse it. I'd rather do that than spend an infinite amount of money on clothes that come out of a factory."

That spirit of involvement was at the heart of the event, which aimed to turn casual observers into active participants in the university's conservation efforts. It's an effort that is personal to grad student Fisher Parrish.

Parrish, who’s an environmental and biological science major from Dothan, Alabama, is currently surveying Alabama and Florida to save native carnivorous plants from extinction.

"Getting involved with the school and everything outside and all of the classes in the field has made me realize we need nature more than a lot of people realize,” Parrish said. “This Earth Day is broadening the scope to people who aren't in these classes, giving them experiences with some of the things we are doing at Troy and maybe getting them interested in some of the projects."

For the university, it's not just Earth Day; it's earth week. From saving rare species to recycling clothes, it's all about protecting the world that is shared.

For future events from each organization, visit @troynaturalistclub, @troy_marinebio and @troycse on Instagram.