With Earth Day being exactly a month away, landing on April 22, 2022, Samantha Carter ’24 expresses the importance of finding ways to bring humans back to peace with the planet that they call home. 

Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970. Since its establishment, it has grown into an internationally recognized holiday and allowed for the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which performs environmental regulations in many regards for the United States. 

For Earth Day this year, Wofford’s Glendale Outreach Interns have found it important to recognize the holiday in a way that college students can appreciate. 

The interns are Molly Bradach ’22, an Environmental Studies major, and Samantha Carter ’24, a Biology and Spanish double major with a minor in Environmental Studies. Their advisor is Kaye Savage, associate professor of Environmental Studies. 

The interns’ responsibilities are generally to come up with educational outreach for many different age groups, spreading awareness of the importance of the environment. The interns host monthly events in the Spartanburg community with a different target audience and theme each month. 

Bradach shares that, although the internship program has been a part of the Environmental Studies department for many years, it has only within the past two years started to plan and host monthly events.

President Samhat’s Student Experience Matching Fund Program is responsible for the internship’s funding.

For April, the event’s target audience is Wofford students, along with other members of Wofford’s community. The theme is self-care.

On Friday, April 22, from 3:00pm-6:00pm, Bradach and Carter will host a self-care day to honor the holiday and the Earth.

Students can expect to see yoga, bring-your-own-mug tea and coffee bars, mindfulness hikes and music at the event. Taking place in Glendale, SC, at 351 Broadway Street, it is only a 15 minute drive for students to participate in an afternoon of self-care and serenity within nature. 

“We must honor the home we live in. This includes our bodies, minds and souls that carry us through life, along with the Earth that provides protection to all its dependents,” Carter said. “We must practice mindfulness of the actions we inflict on ourselves along with the Earth. All actions have a consequence, whether that is positive or negative. Being mindful of the way we treat ourselves and our Earth is a way to honor and sustain life.”

The Glendale area has much to offer Wofford students, even on a regular basis, with facilities such as a garden, waterfall, picnic tables, mazes and trails, a green space and Wofford’s Goodall Environmental Studies Center. 

Make special note to attend this event but also know that the area is open to all students at any time.