Valencia Celebrates Earth Day with Farmer’s Markets, Vegan Food, Music

Earth Day is Friday, April 22, but Valencia Community College is getting a jump on things by scheduling activities at various campuses earlier in the week.

The lineup:

Osceola Campus has scheduled activities from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20, mostly in the area of Building 2. They include an “eco-adventure” speaker in the auditorium whose topic is “Around the World in 90 Minutes.” The main event begins at noon outside Building 2. Participants can decorate clay pots and then plant seeds in them and also make personalized bumper stickers. Organic chai tea will be offered.

West Campus has scheduled activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 21, in the Student Services Building patio. Among them: a plant and bird house sale by the Office of Sustainability; a farmer’s market, shredder truck, resource fair and other attractions by Peer Counselors; plant seeds and shirts and organic chai tea from Valencia Volunteers; a vegan barbecue by Phi Theta Kappa; and a performance by singer Jason Levassuer at 1 p.m.

East Campus has schedule activities from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 21, in the mall area. Among them: 20-minute yoga sessions starting at 1:10 p.m.; a T-shirt giveaway; decorate a clay pot and choose from 150 native plants and herbs to put in it; and a performance by the Commercial Music Ensemble.

Winter Park Campus got the earliest start of all, celebrating on April 7 with a farmer’s market, a T-shirt giveaway and a salad/wrap bar.

For information about the history of Earth Day and how it is marked around the world, visit the Earth Day Network at http://www.earthday.org/