The annual Earth Day Spring Fling on Fairfield Way will have over 40 vendors in attendance today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Jackie Flaherty, an intern at the UConn Office of Sustainability and a sixth-semester marketing and urban and community studies major, managed the event this year. Last year, she co-ran it.
“At the event, we have a lot of different activities going on. They’re all along Fairfield Way and Founder’s Street. We also have a class tree pledge,” Flaherty said.
The Class of 2028 tree will be planted at the Earth Day Spring Fling.
“On Fairfield Way, we’re going to have 40+ local vendors that are all environmental organizations and local businesses that are going to be tabling and that are selling products and raising awareness about certain initiatives that they’re running,” Flaherty said.
She said this will include local businesses giving out all-natural products or selling things such as natural soaps or upcycled goods. UConn organizations, such as the horticulture club and beekeeping club will be at the event. Environmental advocacy groups including the Sierra Club will also attend. UConn Departments, such as the master’s in social responsibility in business will attend the event.
Flaherty said that UConn Dining will run a zero-waste barbeque and will have a cupcake display. UConn’s Thrift Den will be giving out free clothes at the event.
“We’re also going to have a party peddler bike which we have every year that’s super fun,” Flaherty said. “People get on and then they take a sustainability tour around the campus.”
She said that goat yoga will take place at the event.
“We bring goats in from Bradley Mountain Farm and then they’ll do a yoga session on the Founder’s Green,” Flaherty said.
The Earth Day Spring Fling is an annual event co-run by the UConn Office of Sustainability and UConn Dining, according to Flaherty. The event this year is sponsored by USG and Casella. The Earth Day Spring Fling began in 2008 and has grown since then and has expanded with new vendors.
Flaherty said that the key goal of the event was raising awareness about sustainability.
“It’s really great to be able to have a big event on Fairfield Way exposing students to global environmental organizations and also things like the Office of Sustainability,” she said. “Because not everyone’s going to know about the different opportunities on campus, whether it’s engaging with the Office of Sustainability or working in these different clubs at UConn.”
She said it is important to expose UConn students to sustainability at UConn and in the local community.
“Another goal is to create connections between UConn and the local community regarding environmental work,” Flaherty said. “Being able to bring environmental vendors, environmental advocacy organizations here will help create connections between students and the community because community action is always supported with collaboration, so it’s really important to have these kinds of events.”
Flaherty also said that it is important to celebrate progress made with environmental activism, instead of negative messaging.
Flaherty thanked Patrick McKee, the director of the Office of Sustainability, Betsy Mortensen, the communications, outreach and education coordinator and the intern team for their work in organizing the event.
Editor’s Note: Jackie Flaherty works as a copyeditor for The Daily Campus.
Featured photo by Daiga Ellaby/Unsplash