By Lauren Keuning
Contributing Writer

Brookhaven College will host its eighth annual Earth Day Fest. The event starts off a month of environmental awareness, engaging students with educational activities and informative booths from event sponsors.

The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., April 4, in the Commons Courtyard.

Carrie Schweitzer, director of sustainability, has helped organize the event since it began in 2009.

Schweitzer said the event will have information booths from local organizations geared toward bettering the environment.

Brookhaven’s library has managed the green pledge booth in  the past, and Schweitzer said it is an opportunity for students to commit to applying green activities to their lives by painting their hands, printing them onto a banner and writing their promised action inside their handprints. It is an interactive way to hold people accountable for their pledges and create a symbolic token to preserve the event’s purpose.

Schweitzer said the Earth Day Fest is not solely about environmental awareness, but it also focuses on the three principles of sustainability: environmental integrity, social equity and economic viability. “If those are in balance, then we are really building a strong, sustainable future,” she said.

Katie Zhou, a student, said events and programs such as Earth Day Fest and Good Neigh-Bear have a positive influence on campus and help bring attention to bettering the community and environment.

The event’s sponsors include Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Habitat for Humanity, Farmers Branch Farmers Market, Sierra Club Dallas Group, the city of Dallas and Earth Day Texas among others.

North Texans will also have an opportunity to learn about sustainability and the environment at Earth Day Texas, the largest Earth Day exposition and eco-conference, according to a press release.

Earth Day Texas is a free, annual three-day event, which will be held April 21-23 at Fair Park. The event will bring together businesses, environmental organizations and government agencies to promote positive impacts on the environment, according to earthdaytx.org.

Registration for the event is required at earthdaytx.org.