An Earth Day festival of fun, hands-on learning and solutions

FAIRFIELD — Earth Day for Everyone, a free communitywide extravaganza celebrating how the Jefferson County community is acting boldly with broad innovation and equitable investments for the county and planet, takes place Saturday, April 23 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 2606 W. Burlington Ave, Fairfield.

Community service volunteer activities will be held around Fairfield from 9-11 a.m. and the celebratory Earth Day event is from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Organizations and individuals from all corners of the Jefferson County community — and beyond — are coming together to make this an exciting and memorable Earth Day festival.

Interactive learning sessions for children and adults alike, innovative speakers, tours, booths, volunteer opportunities, international food vendors, and music are planned throughout the day. Over 150 tree saplings will be given away, donated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Fairfield Arbor Committee.

The Southeast Iowa Sierra Club, University of Iowa School of Social Work, Sustainable Living Coalition (SLC), and Jefferson County Farmers & Neighbors, Inc. are organizing the event.

Earth Day for Everyone begins the day with several community service volunteer opportunities between 9-11 a.m., including:

• Litter cleanup and debris inventory run by Rotary Club InterAct volunteers.

• Tree maintenance and mulching led by Maharishi University of Management’s (MIU) Tom Brooks.

• Community Orchard pruning and maintenance organized by arborist Austin Troutt.

In addition, Troy Van Beek of Ideal Energy will conduct a solar installation tour.

To participate in any of these activities, sign up at SEIowaSierraClub@gmail.com.

At noon, Fairfield Mayor Connie Boyer kicks off Earth Day for Everyone festivities with the city’s commitment to building a resilient community followed by brief announcements of plans for a new Fairfield Sustainability Coordinator and the selection of Fairfield as the pilot site for the new statewide Resilient Iowa Communities project.

Fairfield’s new Home Garden Initiative, innovative management for city and county wild lands, and MIU’s sustainability commitment for the next century will be introduced.

Beginning at 1 p.m., speakers will give short talks on an array of earth-friendly topics throughout the afternoon.

Renowned agricultural economist Dr. John Ikerd will share his vision of a food utility, and Jefferson County Supervisor and farmer Dee Sandquist will speak about raising hogs for Niman Ranch.

The Fairfield Food Collective is the focus of Breadtopia’s Eric Rusch and Galen Saturley followed by a presentation on regenerative agriculture by Radiance Dairy co-owner Francis Thicke. Tiffany Raines from Abundant Biology and SLC’s Bob Ferguson conclude with a talk on the Fairfield Garden Initiative.

Numerous learning activities for children and adults will take place throughout the day between 11 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m.

These include a bio-nutrient model demonstrated by Faith Reeves of Sky Gardens, children’s learning sessions led by Fairfield Public Librarian Alecs Micunas, and Zero Waste offered by the Southeast Iowa Sierra Club.

More learning and creative activities will be organized by the Jefferson County 4-H Club, Iowa Wesleyan College, Jefferson County Farm Bureau, Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment, University of Iowa School of Social Work, and Indian Hills Environmental Science Club.

The day wouldn’t be complete without live music from Steve McLain and the Fairtown Ramblers and a variety of international food offerings will be for sale by local vendors.

Many informational booths will be set up including those of the following Earth Day for Everyone co-sponsors: University of Iowa School of Social Work, Southeast Iowa Sierra Club, Sustainable Living Coalition, Jefferson County Farmers & Neighbors, Inc., Sustainable Iowa Land Trust, Hazel & Gray, TerraCycle, MIU Sustainability Program, Fairfield Public Library, Radiance Dairy, Breadtopia, and Ideal Energy. Sweet Green and Waste Management also will be contributing to the event’s success.

The Earth Day for Everyone schedule is as follows:

• 9 a.m. — Solar Installation Tour.

• 9-11 a.m. — Community Service Volunteer Activities (various locations around town).

•11 a.m.-4 p.m. — Music and food all day long.

• Noon — Opening of Earth Day for Everyone festivities with Fairfield Mayor Connie Boyer and community speakers in the Cambridge Pavilion.

• 1-4 p.m. — Earth Day talks and booths in the Cambridge Pavilion.

• 1-4 p.m. — Interactive learning sessions & activities in the Activities Center.