Earth Day Fair

Earth Day was established in 1970 when the public became increasingly concerned about the current state of the environment. 

The Earth Day Fair has been a tradition at W&J since 2019.

In April 2020 and April 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fair was brought online for a week. It focused on educating the W&J community about sustainability topics, student and faculty environmental work, and encouraged participation in celebrating Earth Day.

Student & Faculty Blogs

Students and faculty have contributed over 50+ blogs dedicated to celebrating Earth Day. Topics range from conservation to environmental justice issues, and they touch upon personal experiences or passion for a subject.

Interconnected: People and Land at the Mexico-US Borderlands

Written by Marcy Saldivar   When Americans think of the Mexico-US border, it is likely that conflict initially comes to mind. The political climate surrounding the border is intense as half of Americans support the building of a border wall and the other half...

Earth Day Poetry

Written by Carla Myers & Samantha Martin; Clark Family Library   The library (of course) encourages reading about nature. Why not combine it with #NationalPoetryMonth which also occurs in April?  Reading poems about nature and the environment can engender an...

Biophilic Cities: the important role of nature in our cities.

Written by Erin Herock I’ve always loved cities. Growing up near Pittsburgh, I remember how excited I was when my parents took me downtown. When I was old enough to drive, I took any opportunity to hangout in Frick Park with friends or walk along North Shore before...

The Addax

Written by Chibuike Ugwu Scientific Name: Addax nasomaculatus. Status: Critically Endangered. Threats: Uncontrolled hunting, drought, and the extension of pastoralism. Africa is a land that has been blessed with the most some of the most unique animals in the world....

Stop Gatekeeping the Outdoors: How to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive and Welcoming

Written by Julia Schaffer   As indoor options became more dangerous after the introduction of COVID-19, many people have turned to the outdoors as a safer alternative. The fresh air and open trails are always welcoming new hikers with open arms. Unfortunately,...

Falling In Love with Rock Climbing

Written by Orri Gabbay I only recently picked up rock climbing. I would say I gained my passion for climbing during the summer leading into my sophomore year at W&J College. At that point, I had recently been going through tremendous stressors, one specifically...

Does Sustainable Fashion Exist?

Written by Erin Herock So what is “sustainable fashion”? Sustainable fashion focuses on ethical, low-carbon production all the way up to the distribution of it. It is also referred to as “slow fashion”. Essentially the supply chain is as clean, efficient, and...

National Geographic Belize Trip

Written by Benjamin Simon Three years ago I went on a trip to Belize with National Geographic. While we stayed at the Calabash Caye field station my group went out on the water every single day. We would snorkel and freedive for hours, some of us even scuba dove at...

The Adirondacks

Written by Jared Heller     The Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York have been on my family’s annual adventure list for some much-needed soul searching and good vibes ever since my dad learned about the area through summer camp as a child. Letting some...

GMO’s. What are they?

Written by Aleena McDaniel   GMO’s. What are they?  GMO’s are Genetically Modified Organisms. They have been created through biotechnology, which is where scientists manipulate the genetic makeup of crops and livestock in order for them to tend to our needs....

Student Creative Pieces

Students wrote poems, short stories, and created art centered around celebrating the earth.

Title: “Tenacity”

Artist: Lena DiFulvio

Medium: Pencil on paper

“Tenacity,” at first glance, seems simply to be a human hand holding a tree, its roots spread about, reaching for the unseen earth below. A butterfly perches on the hand, its size taking hold of our gaze. Is this a work depicting beautiful human interaction with the Earth, providing fertile ground for its life to flourish upon, or is the tree in the image is being mercilessly uprooted, a symbol of human destruction and carelessness? Just as we must decide how we treat our planet, it is up to us to assign meaning to this piece. (April 2021)

Mother Nature

Written by Hannah Robart To know what Mother Nature knows To see the beauty that she holds.  Everything we have We owe to her.  So why do we choose not to love A mother that has given us so much? One day, I think we’ll see That our mother will not take this disrespect...

La Selva

Written by Marcy Saldivar |   A summer-morning cicada choir sings, The green iguanas jump between treetops,  A scarlet macaw opens rainbow wings, Dim light contrasts the glowing eyes of crocs. At dawn, a herd of peccaries run home,  Capuchins play a game of tag...

What’s the word?

Written by Chibuike Ugwu | Johnny is a special boy, He can talk to animals, which brings him joy, Johnny went to south china to see Mr. Tiger,  But he was sad to see his Ambush was getting lighter. Johnny decided to go to Kenya to greet Mrs. Rhino, But he noticed the...

Ode to the Mojave

Written by Ostin Woodfin | Wind burns the edges of the ear, in return for its words. The secrets of the desert are held in the words of the wind, the screams, the tears, the laughter, the silence. The Mojave is a home to many, including myself, the blood in my veins...

Our oceans don’t have a voice

Written by Benjamin Simon | Our oceans cover the majority of the planet But they are far from the infinite resource Like we so often treat it as They’re made up of a number of ecosystems The arctic Coral reefs And mangroves to name a few They’re home to top predators ...

Sightless Description

Written by Stephanie Shugerman Close your eyes and walk. The heat of the sun beats on your shoulders; a glow creeping through your body, warmth from the top of your head to your bare toes on the ground. Wind swirls around your body, fluttering your shirt, the soft...