In partnership with YQGgreen, St. Clair College is celebrating Earth Day with a week-long celebration, bringing in several eco-friendly vendors to talk about all things green with students and staff at Main Windsor Campus.
"St. Clair College will celebrate Earth Day on April 22 with the rest of the world, a reminder of our shared responsibility to protect and preserve the environment for future generations," said Joe D'Angela, the Sr. Director of the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts, Advancement and Campus Partnerships. "As a college community, we have a unique opportunity to lead by example – through education, innovation, and everyday actions that reduce our environmental footprint."
"Together, we can create a more sustainable campus and inspire meaningful change beyond our walls," D'Angela said.
Earth Day festivities will kick off Wednesday, April 22, at 10 a.m. with a special tree planting at Main Windsor Campus, followed by an eco-friendly vendor showcase in the Student Life Centre from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
YQGgreen will be joined by the Bike Kitchen, Green Sun Rising, Taureen EV, Kanex Media, Floor Coverings International, Bright Green Roof, the Unifor Local 444 Environment Committee, and Habitat for Humanity, which will help collect e-waste.
There will be a gently used bike sale, and donations are being accepted for gently used books and clothing. YQGgreen will also be collecting milk bags and plastic bottle caps for ongoing projects.
Students will especially enjoy a special display featuring a butterfly made entirely of recycled bottle caps. The project will be created entirely with student donations of bottle caps and will be a great place for students to snap pictures.
There will also be a seed giveaway for the green thumbs on campus.
"Our YQGgreen members are proud to celebrate Earth Day at St. Clair College and to kick off our partnership through the new Green category in the St. Clair Alumni Perks App," said Elizabeth Elias-Hernandez, the founder of YQGgreen. "Together, we are creating meaningful opportunities to support sustainability and build a greener future for Windsor-Essex."
YQGgreen is a group of dozens of small business owners, social enterprises, non-profits, and community-based organizations that want to make a difference by promoting environmentally and socially sustainable practices. The group works together so we can be the resource for a greener, more sustainable, and more vibrant Windsor-Essex.
"St. Clair's Earth Day celebration is something we as a student council have always been part of," said Ryan Peebles, Executive Director of the Student Representative Council. "From hosting on campus Earth Day walks for years, to this year hosting a weeklong celebration, we are thrilled to be able to continue this partnership with St. Clair College, but also our community partners, empowering students, protecting our planet and supporting sustainability for the future of every student."
"Our students of today are the leaders for tomorrow, and whom are the ones who can make a difference."