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Children will participate in age-appropriate sessions. Each session, which shall last 45 minutes, will be lead by a Ferrum College student. Senior Jesse Carkin and junior Bryan Strong, spokespersons for the College students and event publicity coordinators, indicate that through fun and entertaining activities the children will learn how to keep the earth healthy for generations to come. Carkin elaborates, “At that age, kids have a natural curiosity about the environment, and Ferrum College’s Earth Day Celebration is geared towards satisfying that curiosity.”

Environmental Education to Promote Environmental Conservation and Preservation
For immediate release:	Released by: Lisa Bowling
April 10, 2002	(540) 365-4307
In celebration of Earth Day, Ferrum College and Ferrum Elementary students will gather on the College’s campus for earth-friendly activities and educational sessions. On Friday, April 19th at 9:00 a.m., more than 280 elementary school children will walk from their school to the campus where more than 60 college students will teach them how to care for and preserve the environment. The daylong event will include a parade at 10:50 a.m.; appearances by Smoky the Bear, a T.Rex, and a life-size, walk-in whale; and a complimentary picnic lunch from the College.
	Children will participate in age-appropriate sessions. Each session, which shall last 45 minutes, will be lead by a Ferrum College student. Senior Jesse Carkin and junior Bryan Strong, spokespersons for the College students and event publicity coordinators, indicate that through fun and entertaining activities the children will learn how to keep the earth healthy for generations to come. Carkin elaborates, “At that age, kids have a natural curiosity about the environment, and Ferrum College’s Earth Day Celebration is geared towards satisfying that curiosity.”
One of the event highlights is the life-size representation of a whale, constructed by students at Franklin County’s CATCE Center. The children will hear a story about whales, go inside the whale, and then learn about ocean habitats. The whale, created by the CATCE students, will be inflated in the College’s Fellowship Hall. A 12 foot Tyrannosaurus Rex from the Virginia Museum of Natural History will be the focal point of an educational talk on dinosaurs and games. Paper bags, donated by Winn Dixie, will be used for a bag-decorating contest. Prizes will be awarded for the most creative bags, and bags will be returned to Winn Dixie for distribution to the store’s customers. Ferrum College students will lead the following learning sessions for the elementary children: Kindergarten – Second Grade Activities • Jesse Carkin will be doing a superhero session on Protectors of the Earth • Jeremy Woods will be organizing a Greenhouse Adventures Scavenger Hunt • Kevin Mausehund will be identifying how litter affects the environment on a hike called Litter Be Gone Third – Fifth Grade Activities • Bryan Strong will be leading Energize It! on power conservation • Matt Dunlap will be creating t-shirts • Todd Hudson will be teaching a session called Slip Sliding Away—Erosion In Action • Natasha Taylor will be conducting games in Endangered Species—Can We Help Them Survive? • Matt Carter will be leading artistic projects in a session called To Really See The World. The College’s Outdoor Recreation and Risk Management classes will host the event, allowing students to put their classroom lectures to work. “It gives us hands-on experience in programming that will help the Recreation majors better serve children in the future,” says Strong. Moreover, most students are deeply concerned about the environment, according to Kathy Mengak, event co-coordinator and assistant professor at Ferrum College. The event provides the students with the chance to pool their efforts, yielding a long-term community impact. “We’re proud to host this celebration in the hope that elementary schoolchildren will learn and have the desire to protect the environment,” agrees Strong. Earth Day began with the thought that people around the world with a concern for the environment could change the face of the planet. It is celebrated around the globe in diverse ways. For more information on Ferrum’s event, contact Dr. Kathy Mengak at (540) 365-4387. From art openings to plays, to concerts and lectures, Ferrum College offers a variety of cultural and learning events throughout the year. Ferrum College is a four-year, private, co-educational, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Ferrum offers a choice of nationally recognized bachelor’s degree programs at a cost well below the national average for private colleges. # # # Photos from the parade: