April is Earth Month

Atka the Wolf

James Eyring with border collie

James Eyring with owl

Get Fit Walk

With the university’s increased focus on sustainability, Angelo Spillo, Director of Pace University’s Environmental Center, expects this year’s Earth Month celebration to be the biggest yet.

Each April for the last seven years, Spillo has organized an entire month of environmental awareness-raising events including the popular visit from Atka the wolf from the Wolf Conservation Center, and the Birds of Prey and border collie demonstrations by Pace’s own James Eyring.

This year’s celebration will also include a “green” expo with exhibits by high school students, green employers, business leaders, scientists and the famous “veggie oil bus,” several nature hikes and bird walks, a tree planting, and an all-day multi-disciplinary teach-in on Earth Day, April 22.

“We started it as a one-day event and found that we couldn’t do everything we wanted to, so it went to a week-long event, and now we need a full month for all of the festivities,” Spillo explained. “There is a groundswell of support for this program.” The Pace Academy for the Environment, N.A.T.U.R.E. (our environmental club), and the Provost have provided strong support over the years.

It’s important to Spillo that the events really range across the disciplines.

“It’s all about creating environmental awareness, but it takes a lot of different approaches. Every discipline in some way should be focused on protecting the environment,” he said. He already has professors from information science, business, chemistry, law and fine arts involved in the Earth Month celebration. Many Students are also involved through clubs, organizations, teams, and classes.

New this year, there will be a field trip to a “Science Barge,” a unique floating environmental center powered by solar panels, wind turbines and biofuels, with a greenhouse.