Last Thursday was a bee-utiful day for the Sustainability Festival! The sun was shining, the bees were buzzing, baby goats were bleating – all to the delight of the over 350 attendees! Here are a few highlights from the festival:

Live performance by the Burnurwurbskek Singers

Tom Halstead from Allagash Brewing Co and Ali Mediate of Maine FoodScapes

SJC student with her new plant

Center for Sustainable Communities intern discussing the pollinator garden with SJC students

SJC students with bunnies from November’s Harvest

Farmer Myke and his babies

Plants from Old Wells Farm

SJC student adds her handprint to the Eco Reps mural

And of course, the debut of the SJC Pollinator Garden was a hit! As the festival adrenaline starts to wear down, please remember that a pollinator garden does NOT increase your chance of getting stung. Pollinator gardens attract many different pollinators, including butterflies, moths, beetles, and hummingbirds – not all of these little guys sting! Also, many bees will not sting you – no male bees sting, and many native Maine bees won’t sting because they are too small or don’t have a hive to defend. And finally, a feeding bee is a happy bee! For this reason, planting flowers WON’T increase your chances of getting stung. If you haven’t already, go check out the garden on the way to the lake!

Easter break is this weekend, which means lots of family time, Easter eggs, and overeating. After all the excess, it will be time to get back to basics and celebrate Earth Week! This year, Earth Day is Monday, April 22. While we won’t be able to celebrate Earth Day as a campus, there will be plenty of activities throughout Earth Week to get back in touch with your granola side.

Tuesday, April 23 at 4pm, Pause for Prayer: Care for the Earth in Healy Chapel. Celebrate God’s creation with the Mercy Center!

On Wednesday, April 24 at 6pm in the Auditorium, the CH245 Environmental Chemistry class, in conjunction with the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Lakes Environmental Association, Bridgton Books and the Green Store are hosting a screening of Bag It! The class will present results from a study of microplastics in the Presumpscot River. There will be door prizes!

Join the Ecoreps for Craft Night and Adopt a Plant on Wednesday, April 24 at 8pm in the Heff! You can bring your own container to decorate, or the Eco-reps will provide one for you. Containers can include old mugs, glass jars, old candle holders, whatever you want!

And to cap off the week, everyone’s favorite festival will be Thursday, April 25 from 11am-2pm! Come play a game of corn-hole with the Health & Wellness Club, get a re-usable straw from the Eco-reps, sample Urban Farm & Fermentory kombucha, and so much more at the Sustainability Festival!

Join us for Flower Power: Sustainability in Action and the debut of our very own Pollinator Garden on Thursday, April 25th from 11:00 to 2:00!

During the festival you will have the chance to…

Pet baby bunnies and goats from November’s Harvest

Sample delicious food from local vendors

Meet a beekeeper & learn about honeybees in Maine

See the Burnurwurbskek Singers live from 11:30am-12:00pm

Learn about local sustainable organizations

Outside vendors will include ReVision Energy, Allagash Brewery, ecomaine, November’s Harvest, Go Maine, Maine FoodScapes, Agri-Cycle, Dental Lace, MaineShare, Wood & Sons, Maine Partnership for Environmental Stewardship, Saco River Farms, Loon Echo Land Trust, Maine Conservation Voters, and Old Wells Farm. Many Saint Joseph College departments, clubs, and organizations will also have booths at the festival. Come say hi and learn about Sustainability in Action!

If your organization is interested in having a booth at the festival, please contact Heather Craig at hcraig@sjcme.edu