Exposition on Earth Week enlightens students

Posters about sustainability, climate change, AI, soil degradation, and invasive species decorate the perimeter of the quad in preparation for Earth Week. 

The Smart Environment Club (SEC) hosted the event and organized a scavenger hunt in the quad. 

“In honor of Earth Day, we wanted to go beyond just a day to spread awareness about environmentalism and promoting sustainability,” said Vice President Sophia Chan, a senior, who organized most of this event. 

Offered at three stamps, students could earn stickers; at five stamps, calendars and postcards; at ten stamps, a seed packet plant kit; and finally at 16 stamps, an exclusive tote bag. 

At each of the six tables, different tasks were offered as a chance to earn stamps and progress in the scavenger hunt.

“My favorite part of the scavenger hunt was interacting with various students and sharing the excitement of when they were able to complete the task and get stamped,” said junior Secretary Lauren Yee, who stamped cards at the tables. 

Students first received a stamp card at the prize table to complete as they went through the scavenger hunt. At the first table, SEC members quizzed participants on Mono Lake, a saline lake known for its massive tufa towers. 

Next to it, participants collected trash and garden weeds, sorting them properly in the three bins. Similarly, an interactive trash sorting game educated students about proper waste sorting habits at the next table.

Offered at the EarthTeam table, students had the opportunity to play trivia about their yearly project about implementing On-Land Visual Trash Assessments to evaluate trash on and off campus. 

At the last table, students could summarize takeaways from environmental posters, look for invasive plant species around campus, take a photo of it, or post about Earth Week on social media. 

Earth Week was a chance to learn about environmental issues and engage in fun activities throughout the week.