SCC Celebrates Earth Day Sunday, April 22
Somerset Community College (SCC) will host its annual Earth Day Celebration on Sunday,
April 22 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event, a collaboration between SCC and Eastern
Kentucky PRIDE, will feature a fun and educational day packed full of activities,
wildlife exhibits and green demonstrations. Activities will be held on the SCC Somerset
Campus North, located at 808 Monticello Street, Somerset. The event is free and open
to the public.
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o Run for the Red Buds Fun Run at 1 p.m. with T-shirts available for the first 75
registered individuals
o Kentucky Reptile Zoo
o Butterfly house, with a limited number of Painted Lady caterpillars to adopt
o Southwestern High School Raptor Rehabilitation program
o Geo-caching and how to find hidden objects on the SCC Nature Trail
o Biology of bears, bees and Buck Creek
o Information on innovative technology such as hybrid engines and management solutions
o Demonstrations on good environmental practices
o Demonstrations by local and state businesses on green building products
o Somerset High Schools light bulb exchange
o SCC Fruit of the Lens Photography Club will present awards for the annual photo
contest
o Face painting by cosmetology students
o Scavenger hunt and much more
Animal displays will include a large aquarium filled with native aquatic species to
demonstrate life below the water line. Another display will feature amphibians that
are commonly found along streams and hiding under leaf litter. In terms of domestic
animals, a presentation on raising chickens will demonstrate the complete process
from egg to hen.
Hybrid car technology will be on display, from the actual vehicles to a deconstructed
hybrid engine with explanations provided by Sam Collier, Gateway Community and Technical
College associate professor of Auto Technology. An electric car will also be available
for viewing.
SCC instructors Roberta Barbalace and Randy Flanary have collaborated with students to bring demonstrations of straw bale home construction techniques. Other students will demonstrate wind power and community farming approaches.
The SCC PRIDE Club will have 35 gallon rain barrels for sale. The barrels were constructed as part of a service learning project by SCC students enrolled in instructor Gary Shermans biology class and decorated by students in instructor Darlene Libbys art class. Students will also be on hand to demonstrate how to make your own rain barrels at home.
There will be three different musical groups performing at Earth Day. Sogo Drums,
which is an African drumming band, will be entertaining the crowd in between sets
performed by two local bands, One Way and Blackheart.
Food will be prepared by Met Sergin, SCC Culinary Arts Instructor with the help of
his students and members of the SCC Samothrace Club. The food prepared will model
an earth friendly diet. Come early to enjoy the samplings of Sergin and the culinary
arts students.
There will also be conservation demonstrations by the US Army Corps of Engineers,
Pulaski County Conservation District, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and
University of Kentucky Ag Extension Agent Jerry Hash. Members of local farmers markets
will be selling their products and naturalist Nancy Seaberg will bring a touch table
and information on the Appalachia Grow project.
A discussion of the importance of heirloom plants will accompany the distribution
of free heirloom tomato seedlings. The plants will be transplanted into newspaper
pots that you can make yourself to practice the three important Rs reduce, reuse,
recycle.
Several Brownie and Girl Scout troops will provide information and activities throughout
the day. They will be joined by students from several elementary and middle school
students, such as Somerset Christian Schools and Meece Middle School.
The Somerset Community College photography club, Fruit of the Lens, will also be awarding
cash prizes for the annual amateur photography contest. The contest is accepting
entries until April 15 and entries can be emailed to fruitofthelensphotographyclub@gmail.com. Additional information on the photo contest can be found at www.lakecumberlandliving.com.
Somerset Community College would like to acknowledge all the community partners who
are helping with the Earth Day Celebration. Many thanks go to Eastern Kentucky PRIDE,
Pulaski County Public Library and Girl Scouts of Wilderness Road Council.
Come and spend the afternoon on the Somerset Community College Campus and discover
ways be become better stewards of our planet. For more information on Earth Day, contact
Professor Loris Sherman at 606-451-6855.