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Saturday, Apr. 18, 2009

Mercer University students, faculty helping area go green

Earth Week starts today and many events are taking place in the downtown Macon area to help residents enjoy nature and learn to think green.

Through collaborations with the city’s parks and recreation department, local businesses and environmental advocacy organizations, Mercer University’s Students for Environmental Action group organized 10 programs.

People can help clean up the Beall’s Hill neighborhood, participate in a how-to session on building a home compost pile or catch an outdoor screening of Disney’s “WALL-E” at Tattnall Square Park, among other activities.

“We’re targeting students, youth, families, everyone,” said LaTanya Sandifer, a program coordinator at the Macon-Bibb County Parks and Recreation Department, which is co-hosting “Shindig on the Green.”

The free event, which is open to the public and takes place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the park, will feature bike riding demonstrations, flower and tree planting stations, grass games, vendors and a raffle.

“It’s a celebration to try to broaden this ‘going green’ movement to see what the locals can do to effect change in our community,” Sandifer said. “Environmentalism is not exactly popular right now. But from conserving energy to being more healthy by paying attention to what we eat and how we grow it, we can take these steps one by one.”

Mercer recently held Bike Week on the college’s campus to promote lowering air pollution by encouraging students to ride bikes instead of driving automobiles, she said.

Heather Bowman Cutway, a biology professor who advises the environmental action group, said individuals should try to make small, personal changes to lighten our impact on the environment.

“One of the things I try to do when it comes to Earth Week is pinpoint one thing I can do consistently that can make my footprint on Earth a little bit lighter,” she said. “I think one of the biggest things to realize is many of the changes you can change will also save you money. Reducing your waste to begin with is going to be of much bigger savings for your pocket and for the Earth.”

For example, by paying closer attention to the directions on a shampoo or lotion bottle, Cutway said, users can make products last longer by using smaller portions.

“You’ll have less bottles and less trash in the long run,” she said.

Cutway will be lecturing Tuesday evening at Mercer about composting at home.

“Really, anyone who does any sort of yardwork would benefit from composting. The benefit for the environment is you’re keeping all of the material out of the landfill and out of the waste stream,” she said. “You can add it as mulch or add it as a soil amendment. It helps soil hold water. It quickly gives your plants a very fast pulse of nutrients.”

The event is from 7 to 8 p.m. in the lecture hall at Willet Science Center.

Also Wednesday, Mercer students will dedicate land for a community garden at the Ronald McDonald House, 1160 Forsyth St.

Rick Kropidlowski, building maintenance coordinator at the home for families of sick children, said the vegetable garden will be in a small plot near the main entrance.

Allan Rene de Cotret, a business student and former volunteer at the home, approached the staff about developing the garden. It will be the first garden project at the center.

“I guess we really felt pretty excited about it,” Kropidlowski said. “It will be interesting to see how our families react to it. It might be something that they can take care of when they come back from the hospital ... they can pick a tomato or pepper or whatever it is.”

Cutway said “WALL-E” will launch this year’s Tattnall Square Park movie series, which is hosted by the College Hill Corridor Commission.

Other Earth Week participants include the University of Georgia Extension and the Macon Tree Commission.

To contact writer Ashley Tusan Joyner, call 744-4347.