Science and nature showcased at VGCC Earth Day event
Vance-Granville Community College’s sixth annual Earth Day festival was held on April 21 on the college’s main campus in Vance County. Each year, the event seeks to educate the college and community about conservation in a fun, informative setting. VGCC students, staff, faculty and visitors enjoyed information and demonstrations related to nature, environmental sustainability and alternative energy. Students also provided music, art and activities to add to the festive atmosphere.
Several VGCC curriculum programs employed their particular areas of expertise as part of the event. Automotive Systems Technology program head Fred Brewer and his students demonstrated wind, solar and hydrogen fuel cell energy technologies. Students in the Carpentry and Electrical/Electronics Technology programs informed visitors about “green” residential building techniques, compared various types of light bulbs and showed off the student-assembled solar panel array capable of producing about 400 watts of electricity. Festival-goers sampled organic chili prepared by VGCC Culinary students under the direction of Chef Ross Ragonese. To be even “greener,” the bowls in which the chili was eaten were biodegradable. The VGCC Learning Resources Center (LRC) displayed materials in the library’s collection related to the environment and climate change. Attendees also got to check under the hood of a hybrid vehicle, a Toyota Prius used by the VGCC Security department.
Guests participating in the event included the American Wildlife Refuge of Rolesville, Granville County Greenway Plan Committee, N.C. Cooperative Extension agencies from Vance and Franklin counties, Franklin County Soil & Water Conservation District, Novozymes of Franklinton, Backyard Plantation Nursery of Oxford, which offered locally-grown perennial plants for sale, and beekeeper Jimmy Chalmers of Oxford. Horticulture agent Carl Cantaluppi from the N.C. Cooperative Extension agency for Granville and Person counties was on hand to present a special lecture, “Horticulture For Food, Fun, and Profit.” He offered tips on how to grow and market specialty crops and cut flowers, both as a hobby and as a business. Another special guest at Earth Day was the “Mobile Launch Pad for Critical Careers” from the N.C. Community College System’s BioNetwork and Duke Energy. The Launch Pad, a bus-like vehicle, is a mobile laboratory that gives students and members of the public the opportunity to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Earth Day was also observed that same day at VGCC’s South Campus , located between Creedmoor and Butner. Students in English classes on campus took part in a competition to create posters depicting some aspect of the environmental concerns related to Earth Day. Matthew Stevenson of Chapel Hill won the first-place prize for his poster on Over-Consumption, Justin Pope of Butner placed second for his entitled “Plant A Tree: Why, Where, How & When,” while tying for third were Brittany Edwards of Raleigh for her poster on Air Pollution and Cheyenne Jones of Butner for hers on Solar Power. Guests at South Campus included Michael McFadden, chair of the Granville Greenways Technical Committee, and Teresa Baker, recycling coordinator for Granville County Schools.
Above: Visitors enjoyed a variety of booths and demonstrations at VGCC’s Earth Day festival, including one from the Automotive Systems Technology program (foreground, left), which included a small windmill demonstrating alternative energy. (VGCC photo) Three additional photos can be found on our Facebook page .
