Human connection requires two parties willingly stepping into relationship with the other. Nature, however, is always waiting with open arms for us to push aside the digital noise in our lives and embrace the power of silence. We have never been more connected to each other (digitally), yet we have never been more disconnected from the world around us which is why celebrating Earth Day the Proctor way always comes as an exhausting, refreshing change of pace.
While the rest of the world celebrated Earth Day two weeks ago, each spring we carve out time in our academic schedule once the weather has warmed (a bit) to get outside, engage in workshops, hikes, service, and exploration of local sustainability efforts alongside our students.
Last evening, we kicked off events with a presentation by Environmental Coordinator and Science Department Chair Alan McIntyre followed by a conversation with visiting artists Adrianna Prat and Yuko Oda, joined by visiting educator John Around Him. As Adrianna and Yuko shared their work, their journey, and their focus on capturing the natural world through their creative endeavors, we saw a different side of sustainability-focused work. Both artists joined workshops this morning as well.
This morning, faculty and students joined together to engage in workshops ranging from hiking over Ragged Mountain to gardening to visiting local composting centers to learning to bake with food waste. Every student joined a small group workshop this morning and dove with two feet into the work of exploring and learning about the natural world that surrounds us.
Following lunch, the advisory groups gathered in the Farrell Field House for our first (of hopefully many) Earth Day Expos! Over 20 local sustainability experts, activists, educators, and farmers shared their knowledge with advisory groups during this amazing event. Three expo presenters were Proctor employees as Spencer Corkran ‘09 led a virtual reality exercise, Gordon Bassett ‘96 showcased is biodiesel car, and Assistant Director of Facilities Justin Truchon provided guided tours of Proctor’s biomass steam plant. A huge thank you to all of our expo presenters!
As we made our way to afternoon activities and athletics practices, with tired bodies and dirty hands, we reflected on 24 hours spent focusing on our environmental mission as an organization. With an ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2038, Proctor is poised to leverage this community-wide celebration of Earth Day as a catalyst for change and an opportunity to imagine how Proctor can continue to lead the way in sustainability efforts.
A huge thank you to Environmental Coordinator Alan McIntyre for organizing this celebration alongside a talented team of Student Activities Coordinator Rosanna Eubank, Visual Art Department Chair and Art Curator Molly Leith, and Head Librarian Heidi Thomas!
Learn more about Proctor's sustainability efforts here!
- Environmental Stewardship