UCO and the Edmond Community Came Together for Earth Day

The University of Central Oklahoma’s sustainability center hosted an Earth Day fair in front of Broncho Lake this past Wednesday, spreading awareness on how to keep the planet healthy.

The fair had tables representing student organizations and local groups, all with one goal on how they want to make the earth cleaner. These organizations were the UCO Botany club, UCO Wildlife Society, Fertile Ground ok, Edmond Urban Forestry, UCO Sustainability Center and more. 

The sustainability center, used this event to promote its mission of creating a more sustainable campus and community.

McKenzie Pittser, a representative for the sustainability center, said, “We aim to educate our members regarding sustainable practices, and we aim to encourage our members to take action on the individual and collective levels to better our environment.”

“By tabling at this Earth Day Fair, we bring awareness to environmental issues that are impacting Edmond and the broader Oklahoma area,” Pittser continued.

The fair also served as a networking opportunity for organizations and local groups.

”Through the Earth Day Fair, I learned about the sustainable community that is around Oklahoma. I have connected with countless individuals who are equally passionate about making the world a greener place,” said Pittser.

“There are countless small ways people can help the earth in everyday life. The best thing is before you buy or use something, think about where it came from and what will happen to it after you are done,” said Pittser.

“A Starbucks cup is not recyclable on campus and will end up in a landfill forever. Things don’t go away just because you are done with them,” she continued.

 Grayson Boutin, a student at UCO who attended the event, said,” I think it’s important to build community and join programs that I previously didn’t know about.”

“I see more and more progress through individuals. For example, people are using less plastic and thrifting; however, the progress is limited due to things like an increase in data centers for AI,” Boutin continued.

“I think it’s a great way to introduce younger generations to these bigger discussions because it’s fun to walk around and people get one-on-one conversations, making it easier to relate the issues and solutions on a personal level,” Boutin said.