Rose State College Goes Wild for Earth Day Published April 14, 2017

The annual Earth Day at Rose State College will include everything from animals to clean-up projects. The three-day event starting April 18^th will transform the college into an eco-friendly learning environment.

“Earth Day’s main goal is to educate the public and increase awareness of issues and or problems with the environment,” said Rose State College Professor of Environmental Science Daniel Ratcliff.  “Understanding and mitigation of these environmental issues emerges from the collective knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM).”

Ratcliff describes some of the environmental issues society are facing as: overpopulation, climate change, natural resource depletion, pollution, ocean acidification, loss of biodiversity, acid rain and ozone layer depletion.

Rose State hopes to do its part to affect change by offering numerous opportunities for students and faculty to get involved.

On April 18^th from 11:30am to 2:30pm students will have the opportunity to learn about topics that include; recycling, composting, Oklahoma native plants, stormwater quality and bioremediation.

Experts from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, Midwest City Stormwater Quality Department, and Rose State Professors Dr. Amy Hurst, Dr. Adjoa Ahedor and Fenton Rood will be on hand for presentations and question and answer sessions.

On April 19^th, from 11:00am to 1:00pm the WildCare Foundation and the Oklahoma City Zoo, including live animal ambassadors, will be on campus with information on aiding local wildlife. Experts will have the opportunity to share what they know about endangered species and how human activity plays a vital role in the continued survival of many species – including species here in Oklahoma.

An opportunity to volunteer will take place at the cleanup of the Raider Creek on April 21^st, from 10am – 12pm. Volunteers should meet in the Community Learning Center parking lot where they will receive gloves and trash bags to help with cleanup and beautification of the campus entrance.

The Rose State Classified Staff Association along with the Professional/Administrative Staff Association are coordinating all the events. All presentations will take place in the Student Center’s Main Dining Room.

Rose State has a history in green training. The College operates and maintains the Oklahoma Environmental Training Center which was established in 1975 by Gubernatorial appointment to provide environmental training for the state of Oklahoma.

The center offers a broad range of affordable environmental, safety, water and wastewater certificate classes.