UNL's Earth Day Events start April 18

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ASUN and the Environmental Resource Center are organizing 'Focus Nebraska' a week-long celebration of Earth Day, April 18-22.

The main goal of 'Focus Nebraska' is to educate students and the university community about the climate and the environment. Activities and programs include campus-wide bike rides, lectures, documentary films, tree planting and an art display. Speakers include Tom Sanders, senior vice president of HDR; David Harwood from the UNL-based ANDRILL (Antarctica) Research Project, and Joel Sartore, National Geographic photographer.

The lectures are free and open to the public.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

April 18:
5 p.m. Bike Ride
Meet at the Nebraska Union fountain plaza for a bike ride around Lincoln's best trails.

6:30 p.m. Othmer Hall 106
Lecture by Tom Sanders, senior vice president of HDR - A presentation about sustainable development and the engineering job market for green jobs.

April 19:
7:30 p.m. Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center, room 212
Screening of the NET documentary "Secrets Beneath the Ice," illustrating the groundbreaking research made in the Antarctic by UNL geology professor David Harwood and the ANDRILL team.

April 21:
7:30 p.m. East Union Great Plains Room
Keynote speech by Joel Sartore. A life-long Nebraskan, Joel Sartore brings a sense of humor and a mid-western work ethic to all of his National Geographic magazine assignments. Two decades with the National Geographic Society have allowed him to cover everything from the remote Amazon rain forest to beer-drinking, mountain-racing firefighters in the United Kingdom. Sartore will talk about his experiences as a photographer and use those experiences to make sense of global warming.

April 29:
10 a.m.-noon 19th and Vine Parking Garage (west side) Tree Planting, trees and shovels will be provided. This event was originally scheduled for April 22, but the date was changed because of wet soil conditions.


ART DISPLAY
An exhibit will be held at the Nebraska Union's Rotunda Gallery to display artwork using recyclables as the material or any other form of artwork that pertains to nature. The goal is to show people how reusable materials can create a visually appealing piece of art and to expand the the importance of nature and planet Earth. Artwork will be accepted beginning at 12 p.m. on April 17.

Anyone interested in displaying artwork can email Madeline Eversoll at unerc2@gmail.com for further information.

For more information on 'Focus Nebraska' or to be a volunteer during tree planting contact Matan Gill at matan.gill@gmail.com or (402) 917-6583; or Madeline Eversoll at unerc2@gmail.com or (402) 430-8184.