By Cassie Stolz

The late morning celebrations were thought-provoking and full of laughter. Thursday, April 15 Thiel’s Environmental club celebrated earth day a week early to avoid overlapping with the research symposium.

Visitors from Ernst Seeds came with delicious honey samples, monarch magnets, and their 2021 seed catalogs. This mobile company is based out of Meadville, PA and serve the entire eastern seaboard for restoration projects and other plant-based needs.

Ernst Seeds also brought their No-till drill to display and explain how they utilize this revolutionary farming tool. A no-till drill is a very heavy drill with a specialized disk set-up that cuts through plant residue, places the seed at the correct depth and then presses the soil back over the seed for good soil to seed contact.

A few advantages to planting no-till are erosion control, less fuel, and lesser seed quantity to plant per acre. Ernst farms use this tool to revitalize the areas native plant species to restore wildlife and pollinator habitats, and restoration of reclaimed lands.

The importance of this work is superior by using native plants that is truly beneficial to pollinators, local grazers, and longevity of designated farming lands. They are currently looking for interested students to take part in the swiftly changing agriculture movement as interns and summer job applicants. If students are interested, they can contact Dr. Anna Reinsel in the Environmental Department.

Moving from the demonstration, was dancing with Dr. Pale outside of Greenville Hall. To commemorate Mother Earth for all she provides and nourishes the land for crops to grow and the people to harvest, students celebrated this through dancing.

Movement and breath work is a symbolic way to honor Gaia that many students may not be aware about.

Unfortunately, the tree planting ceremony was postponed due to the construction still happening on Roth Hall. Maintenance will plant the trees in honor of Earth Day 2021 when it is safe to do so.

Although the college’s community celebrated a week early, remember to hug a tree or pick up some litter on Thursday April 22!