University of South Dakota holds Earth Day celebration

The University of South Dakota is celebrating Earth Day with a weeklong series of events put on by the university’s sustainability program and Greening Vermillion.

Earth Days, which will run through April 23, allows people and businesses within the community to celebrate and protect the planet. It features guest speakers, documentary screenings, and interactive and family events.

“There is a broad understanding that humans are having dramatic, and largely negative, impacts on our environment, and it is easy to feel powerless when faced with such large and complex problems,” USD Assistant Professor of Sustainability Meghann Jarchow, said. “Through Earth Days we hope to empower the Vermillion population to be positive agents of change for our environment.”

This year's Earth Days will feature a talk from U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologist Jonathon Lundgren and two screenings of "This Changes Everything," a documentary focusing on seven communities around the world severely impacted by climate change.

Other events include the Creation Care program, which sees local churches encourage environmental stewardship, an Earth Day Fair in the Muenster University, and the Ufford Family Farm Fun Day.