Earth Week kicks off Saturday at St. Thomas

 

Earth Week kicks off this Saturday at St. Thomas

Earth Week events at the University of St. Thomas run from Saturday, April 18, through Thursday, April 23. Below is the list of scheduled activities here:

Mississippi River clean-up
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 18, Summit Avenue at Mississippi River Boulevard, St. Paul

St. Thomas’ Green Team and the Department of Natural Resource’s annual spring clean-up of the banks of the Mississippi River from the Marshall Avenue/Lake Street bridge to the Ford Parkway bridge will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18. All are welcome to meet at the World War I monument at the intersection of Summit Avenue and Mississippi River Boulevard to help with the clean-up. Look for the tent and banner.

This year’s river clean-up will be held in coordination with the St. Paul Police Department. The clean-up will cover the same area where authorities have been searching for missing St. Thomas freshman Daniel Zamlen. Those participating in the clean-up will be given instructions at the site and will be asked to look for Zamlen’s cell phone, which has been missing since he disappeared on April 5.

Bring gloves, good rakes, good shoes and enthusiasm.

Bags and gloves will be provided for those who need them. Complimentary coffee and snacks will be available for participants.

For more information, e-mail Bob Douglas, rjdouglas@stthomas.edu.

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Flower-pot painting
10 p.m.-midnight, Saturday April 18, Koch Commons, Fireside Room

STAR and Tommies After Dark will host a flower-pot painting activity. Pots, paints and other supplies will be provided free of charge.

STAR invites students to plant flowers in their new pots from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 19, on the upper quad.

For more information, e-mail star@stthomas.edu.

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Construct a statue for Earth Week from UST recyclables
4 p.m. Sunday, April 19, lower quad, St. Paul campus

For more information, e-mail Tony Caruso, ajcaruso@stthomas.edu.

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Bike ride to the capitol
2:30-5 p.m. Monday, April 20, meet under the arches, St. Paul campus

The Green Team and BEAST (Bicycle Enthusiasts at St. Thomas) will lead a bicycle ride to the State Capitol for the HIRE Minnesota rally in support of green jobs and hiring equity. Riders will leave from the arches on St. Thomas’ St. Paul campus at 2:30 p.m. The rally will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. on the lawn of the capitol.

For more information, e-mail Megan Sheridan, msheridan@stthomas.edu.

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Sustainable St. Thomas
11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, the quad, St. Paul campus

St. Thomas clubs, organizations and departments, including the Green Team, Chemistry Club, Theology Club, Campus Ministry, Engineers for a Sustainable World, Recycling Team, Food Service, BEAST, University Relations and The Show’d Up Band, will host a lunch-hour event. The festivities will involve games, such as Green Jeopardy, prizes, giveaways and food.

BEAST will provide free bike tune-ups from noon to 1 p.m.

For more information, e-mail Bridget Kapler, bekapler@stthomas.edu.

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Jennifer Jones and Lois Quam on global warming, green economy
1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, Room 304, Murray-Herrick Campus Center

Jennifer Jones, vice president of communications for the National Wildlife Federation, will speak on global warming and explore solutions and alternatives to protect the planet.

Lois Quam, an internationally recognized leader on the emerging “new green economy” and founder and CEO of Tysvar, a Minnesota-based green-economy and health-care-reform business incubator, will follow with a lecture on the emerging green economy and clean technologies.

This event, the highlight of St. Thomas’ Earth Week celebration, is free and open to the public and is sponsored by St. Thomas’ Student Sustainability Committee and the Executive Education and Professional Development Department, Opus College of Business.

For more information e-mail Mindy Means, mkmeans@stthomas.edu.

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"Green Research at UST: Environmental Research Across the Disciplines"
11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23, 3M Auditorium, O’Shaughnessy Science Hall

A lunch-hour symposium of five- to 1o-minute presentations on environmental research by St. Thomas faculty. Faculty members from biology, chemistry, journalism, geology, psychology, geography and political science will speak.

This event is sponsored by the Environmental Science and the Environmental Studies programs at St. Thomas.

For more information, e-mail Dr. Thomas Hickson, tahickson@stthomas.edu.

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Sustainable St. Paul
11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday April 23, the quad, St. Paul campus

St. Paul businesses and organizations, including SMART-TRIPS, 3M, Sibley Bike Depot and The Show’d Up Band, will have representatives on the quad to answer questions and provide information on sustainability.

From 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sibley Bike Depot will hold a used bike sale, and BEAST will offer free bike tune-ups.

For more information about Sustainable St. Paul, e-mail Bridget Kapler, bekapler@stthomas.edu. To learn more about the bike sale and tune-ups, e-mail Joe Dietel, jadietel@stthomas.edu.