FĂȘte de la Terre festival focuses on sustainability

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The Âé¶čAV’s FĂȘte de la Terre 2016 festival continues with activities planned through Friday, which is International Earth Day.

FĂȘte de la Terre 2016 is being held this week to raise awareness about sound environmental and recycling practices. It is sponsored by Âé¶čAV’s Office of Sustainability.

Bike Day will be held from1-4 p.m. on Wednesday outside the Student Union, on Boucher Street. Workshops about bicycle safety and maintenance are planned.

Attendees will also be able to take a free trial spin on cycles offered through Âé¶čAV’s new GeauxVélo bike share program.

Anyone can rent the bikes as part of the program, but first must register online at geauxvelobikeshare.com. A total of 50 bikes are available at three stations on campus: 32 at Cajun Field, 10 outside the Student Union on Boucher Street, and 10 inside the Girard Park Circle parking garage.

On Thursday, students will plant a bioswale between Burke Hawthorne and Wharton halls. The shallow trough will hold plants and other vegetation. It will filter silt and contaminants from rainwater before the runoff is funneled into drainage systems.

On Friday, a FĂȘte de la Terre expo will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the corner of Hebrard and St. Mary boulevards. It will feature jambalaya served in biodegradable bowls, live music and crafts. The free event is open to the public.

University organizations and departments will set up demonstrations and displays, and distribute information about sustainable curriculums, careers and initiatives.

The first Earth Day was held in 1970 in the U.S. and is now celebrated in about 200 countries. Many communities also observe Earth Week with environmental awareness campaigns.

The University’s FĂȘte de la Terre festival began earlier this week with a canoe trip on the Vermilion River and a recycling drive to collect outdated electronics, such as computers, laptops, printers, keyboards and cell phones.

A  “litter installation” outside DuprĂ© Library demonstrated the amount of debris collected over one week from the mouth of Coulee Mine. The drainage canal runs through campus, near the intersection of Johnston and East Lewis streets.

Learn more about FĂȘte de la Terre on the Office of Sustainability’s web page at .

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