We hope everyone found a meaningful way to celebrate Earth Day, whether by planting trees, participating in a community actions, or simply spending time appreciating the beauty of nature. Our team marked the occasion by planting pollinator gardens, launching a little seed library in their neighborhood, and talking to their children about power and decision-making in our local governance.
Get to know a little bit about our team below & let's continue to prioritize environmental stewardship every day, ensuring a healthier planet for future generations.
KYLA WALKER, COMMUNITY DEMOCRACY PROGRAM INTERN
On Earth Day, considering that it was the Monday of my finals week, I started my day by studying for my first final at noon, and then tried my very best to spend my day outside after that! With it being the start of my finals, I spent the bulk of the day studying as I have two more finals within the week and a paper to write. I find that I work best when I’m alone getting work done outside; there’s just something about being outside that calms me and allows me to work efficiently. My favorite spot is outside the Frick Fine Arts building where there is a big fountain that gets hit so perfectly by the sun. One fun thing I did though, was visit my roommate while she is working at the University of Pittsburgh’s thrift store called, Thriftsburgh! I plan to donate some clothes that I have been meaning to get rid of too! Happy Earth Day!
JUSTIN TUMINELLO, COMMUNITY DEMOCRACY PROGRAM INTERN
To celebrate Earth Day, I planted a pollinator garden with the new Conservation Club at Pitt! Working with Facilities Management, we designed and planted this plot including native and pollinator-friendly plants including false sunflower, wild indigo, butterfly weed, wild bergamot, autumn sedum, and red twig dogwood. These plants will support pollinators like mason bees and improve the ecological health of Pitt’s campus. We are also attending a Playground Build and Earth Day Celebration at the Mulford Community Teaching Garden to help prepare for the upcoming growing season. Throughout the week, I walked my dog around Schenley Park, went biking with friends, and made sure to water my houseplants too!
CHRISTY CHOO, COMMUNITY DEMOCRACY PROGRAM INTERN
To celebrate Earth Day, I took a long walk after my meetings and classes are over. I live in Philadelphia and one of my favorite places to walk is along the Schuylkill River Trail, which features lovely views of the city and surrounding neighborhoods. I love to take some time to walk around and explore the city and find it a great way to wind down and breathe. I also participated in a university-wide Earth Week tabling event where I helped provide plants and pots for students to paint!
BROOKE CHRISTY, EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS FELLOW
For me, Earth Day is a time for reflecting on how I am impacting my environment and consciously taking action to make it a better place to live. My friend, DeSawn, hosted a community clean-up from Hazelwood Cafe—so of course, I joined with my partner and puppy! I also bought a pound of native wildflower seeds to start a “Little Seed Library” in my neighborhood. I hope that it can bring local gardeners together and encourage new gardeners to find ways to incorporate native pollinators into spaces. I successfully packaged and labeled all the seeds but building the library without blueprints has not been as easy—although it should be done next weekend!
MEAGAN NIEBLER, COMMUNITY DEMOCRACY PROGRAM MANAGER
I’m excited to spend Earth Day with my family. My community does a Community Earth Day Festival each year with a combination of environmental nonprofits, kids activities, local farmers, and some other events and activities. We went to this event, as I love it as a time to build community and keep meeting others in my neighborhood who care about environmental justice.
We’ve also been playing Earth Day Bingo! It’s sparked some great conversations between myself and my 5 and 8 year olds.
Lastly, we are talking with our kids about elections and voting. They will vote in the upcoming primary with us, and we talk a lot about power and decision-making, and the importance of finding candidates and others who share your values. Three of our favorite books to read with our kids about these topics are: Sophia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty, The President of the Jungle by Andre Rodrigues, and Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio.
While Earth Day was April 22nd, it is never too late to find ways to celebrate environmental stewardship! Check out Fair Shake’s Earth Day Bingo cards for family fun activities. Message us on social media to let us know you have completed your Bingo Card by May 1st to be entered into a raffle for prizes!
