Students organize Earth Day fest

Instead of its traditional April 22, Earth Day was Sunday on Harvard’s MAC Quad.

But whether it lands on a Tuesday or a Sunday, Earth Day is an annual reminder that efforts to preserve the environment are ongoing and should remain a priority for everyone, everyday. The Environmental Action Committee (EAC), which organized the annual event, chose the theme: “Water, Our Most Valuable Resource.”

At Harvard, Earth Day is also a celebration of the many groups and people who work to improve the environment.  Under Sunday’s cloudy skies, the Earth Day festival was held in conjunction with Visitas and the Undergraduate Resource Efficiency Program. Undergrads Anna Lea Albright and Jasmine Opie co-chaired the event.

Twenty groups attended and presented information about their activities. They included cooperatives providing organic foods, political action committees working to elect green candidates, funders, a local farm, and a coalition working to protect and restore Atlantic Coast’s ecosystems, as well as numerous Harvard clubs.

With water as its focus, the event’s participants encouraged the use of reusable water bottles with the EAC handing out free reusable bottles to participants who completed a scavenger hunt, answering a question at each group’s table. The initiative continues the EAC’s yearlong “Beyond the Bottle Campaign,” which seeks to install more water bottle filling stations throughout Harvard’s campus and decrease the sale of plastic water bottles.

More than 250 people attended during the first hour alone.

Music to celebrate the Earth was provided by Harvard students, including Miles Hewitt, Jen Guidera, the Vinyl Club, and the Semi-Serious Acoustic. Food was contributed by Boloco, Hi-Rise Bakery, Richardson’s Ice Cream, and Once Again Nut Butter.

— Anna Lea Albright and Jasmine Opie/Earth Day co-chairs