EcoEKY: Green News from Eastern Kentucky

from the EKU Update:

EKU Celebrates Earth Days in the Cumberlands

EKU’s ninth annual Earth Days in the Cumberlands celebration throughout April includes a wide variety of educational programs and hands-on activities on and off campus designed to raise awareness about environmental issues in the Commonwealth and beyond.

Several events focus on energy production and conservation, and many involve community partners. Most are free and open to the public.

A complete schedule of events is available at www.ecres.eku.edu, the Web site of the Eastern Committee for Responsible Environmental Stewardship. Some of the month’s highlights include:

* A public reading by Ann Pancake, author of “Strange As This Weather Has Been,” on Tuesday, April 22, at 6:30 p.m. in the Grand Reading Room of Crabbe Library. A reception and book signing will follow. This West Virginia native’s novel is about a coal-country family dealing with mountaintop removal and rural life in Appalachia. The book’s cover is a photo of “The Agony of Gaia,” a sculpture by Kentuckian Jeff Chapman Crane, who will also be present at the event. Also, the sculpture will be displayed the week of April 21-25 in Crabbe Library.

* A presentation about the recently announced energy-saving alliance between Siemens Corporation and EKU that is expected to result in a 30-percent reduction in annual utilities costs for the University. Mark Azzarra with Siemens and James Street, Associate VP for Capital Planning and Facilities Management for EKU, will discuss the plan on Thursday, April 17, at 2 p.m. in Room 128 of Crabbe Library.

* On Monday, April 14, Dick Shore will give a dramatic performance portraying famed naturalist and geologist John Muir. The presentation, entitled “The Thousand Mile Walk,” begins at 12:30 p.m. in the Wallace Building auditorium.

* Also on Monday, April 14, EKU apiarist Tammy Horn will talk about an experimental program to plant trees and establish beehives on reclaimed mountaintop removal sites in eastern Kentucky – a project organizers hope will have ecological and economic benefits for the region. Horn’s talk will begin at 11:15 a.m. in Room 128 of Crabbe Library. Filmmaker Jeff Barrie’s documentary “Kilowatt Ours” will be shown on Thursday, April 17, at 3:30 p.m. in Room B-12 of the Memorial Science Building. The film shows what the average college student can do to reduce energy use. “Fossil Fools: Art, Activism and Appalachia,” on Wednesday, April 16, will feature Kristen Baumlier of the Cleveland Art Institute, composer and sound artist Brian Harnetty and Appalshop filmmaker Tom Hansell. The event will begin at 3:30 p.m. in Room 128 of Crabbe Library.

* A Bike Safe Richmond Rally on Saturday, April 19, in support of the Madison County Greenways and Trails initiative. The rally includes a two-mile family ride through downtown Richmond beginning at 1 p.m. and an eight-mile ride through Richmond and around the Eastern By-Pass beginning at 2 p.m. Both rides begin at Mike’s Hike & Bike on Main Street. Also that day, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mike’s, a children’s bicycle and helmet safety check will be offered. In addition, throughout the month, on Saturdays and Sundays, bicycle rides of 2, 10-15 and 25-50 miles will be leaving from Mike’s. For more information, contact Michael Hale at 626-9626 or mike@mikeshikeandbike.com.

* A cleanup of Muddy Creek on Friday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning at the Central Kentucky Wildlife Management Area. Pre-registration is required; visit muddycreekfriends.org to register. In addition, three stream monitoring volunteer training sessions are scheduled for the Kentucky River Watershed Watch, in Lexington, Danville and Midway. To register, visit kywater.org/watch/ky.htm or e-mail joann.palmer@ky.gov.

* Richmond Mayor Connie Lawson and Madison County Judge-Executive will proclaim April as Tree Month in Madison County. Activities throughout the month will include a poster contest and a tree planting at the new police station in Richmond.

Other events include an art exhibit at Gallery on Main entitled “Shaped by Water, environmental education workshops, and a week in the Fresh Food Company on the EKU campus devoted to “greening up” your diet.

EKU sponsors of Earth Days in the Cumberlands are Eastern Kentucky Environmental Research Institute, Center for Appalachian Studies, Division of Natural Areas, Facilities Services, Student Activities Council, Dining Services, Kentucky Riverkeeper, and Healthy You at EKU. Community sponsors are Mike’s Hike & Bike Shop, Madison County Greenways & Trails, Friends of Muddy Creek and the Richmond Tree Advisory Board.