STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAU) — Earth Day is today, and several opportunities to learn about sustainable practices and protecting the earth are underway at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point.
Dave Barbier is the university’s Sustainability Coordinator. He says there are numerous projects and demonstrations to see. Tuesday, Barbier says they had some help from Chancellor Bernie Patterson sorting garbage from recyclables as they showed students how much of the wrong material is ending up in landfills. “We had our first large-campus waste audit. That happened in the middle of our quad, or sundial, sort of going through and examining the waste stream on campus, seeing how much recycling is actually ending up in the garbage and not getting to the right place.”
Barbier says many on campus were surprised to learn they should not put paper in the garbage. “One of the big things they found out is that 19% of what was in our waste stream was paper. When we recycle paper, our vendor actually pays us for the paper we recycle, so it’s a money maker, so when we’re throwing paper into the waste stream that’s going to the landfill, we’re theoretically throwing money away.”
Wednesday for Earth Day, Barbier says one of the main topics at the student-hosted Eco Fair is the effects of neonicotinoid- based pesticides and a waste facility tour. “The students are putting on an Eco Fair, raising awareness about issues as it relates to bees and the sort of pesticides that are causing their potential demise, and the importance that they play in terms of our food production. And then, we have a waste education center tour, so we have a sort of one-of-a-kind waste facility here on campus, as it relates to stormwater and composting, and resource management.”
The Eco Fair runs from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Dreyfus University Center’s Laird Room. The Waste Education Center tours are from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. In the evening, you can participate in an Earth Day Frog Walk at the Schmeeckle Reserve between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. There are also activities planned for Thursday and Friday on campus, and a tour of the Aquaponics Innovation Center in Montello Thursday.
