The University of New Mexico recently celebrated Earth Day with an inaugural Sustainability Expo featuring exhibits and information from UNM’s Parking and Transportation Services, the UNM Physical Plant Department, Lobo Energy, the Sustainability Studies’ Lobo Grower’s Market and the City of Albuquerque among other organizations.
Photo: PATS Program Planning Manager Cynthia Martin talks with Lt. Gov. Diane Denish.
“I think the sustainability expo was a huge success and really an important event for the university, due to the fact that people from in the community as well as UNM departments participated. It’s a great way for UNM to get the message out about sustainability,” said Mary Vosevich, director of the UNM Physical Plant.
The Expo showcased everything from electric-powered cars, to tips that everyone can use to reduce energy use around their offices and homes, to locally grown, organic vegetables. The UNM Police Department held a bike auction while other UNM departments gave demonstrations of their own sustainability initiatives.
This inaugural Sustainability Expo was developed out of collaboration between Parking and Transportation Services, the Physical Plant Department, and Sustainability Studies. In previous years Parking and Transportation Services held an alternative transportation fair on Earth Day, but this year the fair was rolled into the larger Expo.
“The Expo was a great opportunity to showcase all the different ways one can participate in sustainability. The broad scope of ideas represented was very engaging said Cynthia Martin, program planning manager for UNM PATS. “It provided an opportunity to enlist people who maybe came for one part of the event to learn more about other concepts of sustainability.”
The Expo received its share of VIP visitors as well. New Mexico Lt. Governor Diane Denish (who took a moment to share her views on Earth Day and the Expo with UNM Live, seen here) and Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez were seen checking out many of the exhibits and talking with the groups taking part in the Expo.
In addition, over 50 fourth-graders from local elementary schools were also on hand, taking part in a program to teach them about the importance of saving energy around the house, bicycle safety, and eating locally grown foods. The program, called SustainABILITY, was developed by UNM Parking and Transportation Services. Presentations at the program were given by members of Lobo Energy, the City of Albuquerque Bicycle Safety Education program and UNM Sustainability Studies.
“It was so exciting to host the fourth-grade students on campus. They were so interested in the topics and had such a good time. Reaching out into the community and engaging young people in issues of sustainability is really what it is all about. It is a very important role that the University can play for the entire community,” Martin said.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
Posted by scarr at April 24, 2009 12:18 PM