DOUGLAS — A tradition was revived at the Cochise College Douglas Campus last week.

About 50 students from Double Adobe Elementary School flocked to campus April 24 for a day packed full of Earth Day activities. They learned about conservation, desert animals and played games to learn more about the environment.

Double Adobe sixth-grader Ethan Wells holds a snake at the Douglas Campus on April 24.

This year’s event was the brainchild of Louie Garcia, who returned to Cochise College after graduating in 1990 with an associate of science degree in electronics technology to now pursue a degree in biology and chemistry. He is an active member of the Alpha Beta Zeta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society at the college, and chose to work on an honors project this semester, under instructor and mentor Edmund Priddis.

An Earth Day celebration not only sufficed as an honors project, but it also significantly pertained to his major.

“Our vision was for them to take something home with them,” Garcia said of the numerous kindergarteners through sixth-graders enjoying the sunshine and green grass at the campus. “This is very related to what I’ve been doing all year long in class. And we took on a recycling project in PTK so it wasn’t too far fetched to do Earth Day. It seemed like the right thing to do.”

PTK adviser Lisa Westrick said it had been a few years since the Douglas Campus hosted any kind of Earth Day activities, but Garcia was lucky to find the person who last spearheaded the event within the science department.

“We talked to (instructor) Janeen Crockett, and she gave us some wonderful ideas,” Garcia said. “We picked up where she left off, and she stressed to us leaving it in a way someone else could take it on.”

Garcia has kept that in mind, and made note of all the steps he took in planning and implementing the event, and he made sure most of it was also filmed with the help of the Library/IMS department on campus. He had quite a bit of assistance throughout the day, including Garcia’s fellow PTK members and the Douglas Student Government Association, which provided lunch.

From left, AJ Vasquez, Luis Magana, Donnie Vozza and Alyssa Frank, check out the Water Wise demonstration last week.

The bulk of the day divided the elementary students into three groups to visit interactive stations. Mary Fogleman in the library provided recycled craft time, Hank Huisking from Water Wise taught students about building a town to withstand moving water, and Tom Miscione, founder and president of the Huachuca Area Herpetological Association, let students get close to, and even hold a few, snakes.

“One thing they told me about the honors project is that it had to be something that benefits the community,” Garcia said. “It was inspiring to do this for children. Getting them involved at an early age is key, so they develop an interest in school, in science and the environment so they can be good future leaders.”

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