By Savanna Shriver, Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Students and faculty at Fairmont State hosted the first in–person Earth Day Celebration Wednesday since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago.
The celebration was planned for 2020 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, but it was moved onto Zoom when the pandemic broke out and again in 2021. The Creative Sustainability Council hosted the event and, after two years of anticipation, were glad to finally have the event in–person.
“We just love the idea of being outside on a beautiful day like this and we’re so grateful that it turned out to be so nice,” said Chemistry Professor Erica Harvey, who is also coordinator of the student–run Creative Sustainability Council.
The event featured three types of local carp from the Monongahela River in the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Mobile Aquarium, bottle cap mosaic construction from Fairview Elementary and Middle School art teacher Sandy Cress and students, glass crushing demonstrations from Harvey and a rain garden demonstration from Fairmont State Construction Manager Stephanie DeGroot and Mike Bragg from the City of Fairmont…