Coronavirus puts twist in CMN Earth Day event

Online panel, stories and home activities replace big festival
By: 
Lee Pulaski
City Editor

KESHENA — Plans for a big 50th anniversary observance of Earth Day next week at the College of Menominee Nation had to shrink slightly due to the coronavirus pandemic, but activities are still taking place virtually.

Normally, Earth Day is celebrated with a big festival on the college’s Keshena campus, according to Rebecca Edler, sustainability coordinator with CMN’s Sustainable Development Institute.

“We were hoping to celebrate it in a big way here on campus,” Edler said. “However, things had to shift to online.”

The college’s Sustainable Development Institute is still promoting a variety of activities for all ages. But much like school and work, these activities can be enjoyed online from the comfort of home.

The SDI plans to host a panel on alternative energy sources, which will be broadcast online at www.facebook.com/cmnlibrary. The panel will begin at 2 p.m. April 22, with panelists Emma Ardington, Kelly Jackson and Greg Hitch discussing solar and other forms of energy.

“Greg Hitch was an intern here, and now he’s working with Menikanaehkem on their solar panels,” Edler said. “We’ll address questions on solar energy or alternative energy uses.”

Besides the panel, there will be other activities happening online from April 20-24. Every day at 12:30 p.m., there will be a live story time, and staff members with the S. Verna Fowler Academic Library will read from children’s books that carry an environmental message of importance.

Also happening at 3 p.m. daily, except for Wednesday, are activities to further spread the importance of caring for the world. From creating jellyfish in a bottle to an Earth Day-themed escape room, participants will be able to further their own understanding of Earth Day online.

Also, the institute put together more than 500 tote bags filled with information and ideas for families to conduct their own daily activities that will impact the air, land and water.

“They all have family projects in them,” Edler said.

The SDI is also soliciting participation from the community by asking for photos showing Earth Day activities, which staff members plan to post on the SDI’s Facebook page.

The irony of the pandemic keeping many people at home and reducing how much they travel is not lost on Edler.

“I think it’s making us take a closer look at the importance of our families and our homes,” Edler said. “We have more interaction now with our children with things like walking outside and raking the grass. People are taking much better care of what they have.”

lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com