HPU students Ashley Britton and Megan Nerney enjoy fresh corn during the annual Earth Day Celebration.
HIGH POINT, N.C., April 21, 2017 – The High Point University family celebrated Earth Day today with local companies and wildlife organizations in the Cottrell Amphitheatre.
Students tasted cold-pressed juice, fed animals at the petting zoo, learned about the lives of bees and ate plenty of corn.
Local vendors including Miss Jenny’s Pickles, Big Boss Bakery, Carolina Corn Roasters and Sweet Josephine’s provided samples and discussed their products with students.
Representatives from various wildlife organizations including The North Carolina Zoo, Bixby Honey Farm and All-A-Flutter Butterfly Farm worked alongside the Piedmont Environmental Center, Piedmont Land Conservancy and Price Nursery to discuss sustainable practices regarding the environment.
Hosted by the HPU Green Team, the Earth Day Celebration also included live music, a rock wall, a dog performs tricks and free shirts and bags for students who took part in a sustainability survey.
HPU freshman Emily Edwards spoke with the beekeepers at Bixby Honey Farm booth. She stared at the bees on display, sampled the honey and asked plenty of questions.
“It’s my first time at Earth Day and I’m really loving it,” said Edwards. “It’s great because there’s so much free stuff but it’s also educational”
“It’s a beautiful day and this event is great,” said Cam Kimball, an HPU junior. “Being out here and enjoying it is what Earth Day is all about. I’ve come all three years that I’ve been here, so it’s definitely a tradition at this point. I can’t pick one thing that I look forward to the most. I would have to say that I honestly look forward to everything.”
Jenny Fulton, owner of Jenny’s Pickles, passed out free jars of her hottest and sweetest pickles as students came to her booth. She has been part of Earth Day at HPU for the past four years.
“We love being here,” she said. “It’s great for us because people come up and say they’ve been waiting for our pickles all year. It’s truly an honor to be part of the event.”