Humber’s final event as Earth Month ends engages students directly with sustainability.
Emelia “Mia” Maceasik, the Humber Arboretum’s student and community engagement specialist, hosts a panel for Earthfest that uses animal furs, bones and mushrooms to highlight that nature is closer to students than they may initially think.
“We want students to know that nature is not far away; you can find nature on campus,” Maceasik said. “Nature is in your backyard and you can make a difference just by going out for a walk and that way you’re learning about the environment that you’re in.”
The Arboretum has many events highlighting the importance of nature and frequently works with the office of sustainability.
Sayfuldin Abubakar, in the sports management program with FYE, says that sustainability is one of the core beliefs of Humber and that one of its goals is to get first-year students educated on the subject.
“So Humber is dedicated to actually letting people know sustainability is one of our core mantras and for First Year Experience to be involved, means we have to let people within their first year of being here at Humber, know about sustainability and how they could improve their own lives and also make Humber sustainable,” Abubakar said.
“Humber is one of the leading colleges here, in not only Toronto but in Canada, which pushes for sustainability,” he said.
Abubakar said that FYE always looks forward to partnering with the Office of Sustainability for events like Earthfest.
Gurkeerat Kaur, the FYE’s senior peer mentor, managed a panel where students could take home a succulent and paint a pot for it,
Kaur says gardening is the best way to get people curious about sustainability.
“I think the main goal really is to attract people to come and be interested or start an interest in sustainability, and the best way you can is gardening and having succulents, which are the most sustainable plants,” she said.
Oscar Gonzalez, one of the participants in the event, said that he came because he believes events like Earthfest were important for the cause of sustainability.
”I think it’s important to participate in the events that the college is doing, I think it’s good to know what things are happening around the college and to be part of the community as well as to support the groups that are organizing events like this,” he said.
Gonzalez said the event was a good way of highlighting the importance of a sustainable future and living with nature.
“I think it’s great. I think it’s a very interactive way of acknowledging Earth Day and the importance of being sustainable and living around nature and with nature,” he said.
Gonzalez also said that it’s good to see the staff and students come together and work as a community to achieve something.
“I think it’s good seeing so many faculty, staff, and students participating together towards a common goal, I think when we start interacting as a community, it enriches the experience,” he said.
Gonzalez said that sustainability is about being conscious of surroundings and being mindful of the resources.