Eath Day
 
Hostos Community College celebrated Earth Day with a series of events on April 8 -11, thanks to Professors Vyacheslav Dushenkov and Biao Jiang of the Natural Sciences Department.
 
“The main goal of Earth Day is to educate the Hostos community on the importance of protecting our planet, the danger of global warming, and environmental aspects of human activities,” explained Professor Dushenkov.  
 
The College’s four-day celebration began with a keynote presentation by Associate Professor Ana Carolina Carnaval, Ph.D. of the City College of New York. Dr. Carnaval spoke about biodiversity in the Brazilian coastal forests and the dangers of climate change. Another highlight was guest speaker Claudia Lifton of the Factory Farming Awareness Coalition, whose subject was the environmental impact of food. Professor Dushenkov presented a photo exhibit titled “My Tiger Story,” which was inspired by his fascination and experiences with the endangered species. Student, classroom and panel presentations covered a variety of topics including aeroponically grown leafy greens, conservation, and sustainability.
 
Observed annually on April 22, Earth Day encourages political action and civic participation in protecting the planet. Earth Day Network, the organization that leads Earth Day worldwide, chose “Protect Our Species” as the theme for the 2019 observation.
 
Earth Day events at Hostos were made possible this year thanks to the College’s Natural Sciences Department, and sponsored by the Engineering and Food Studies programs; Conference Center; Office of Academic Affairs; Office of Student Activities; the Physics, Robotics and Engineering Clubs; BMI (Black Male Initiative); and Student Government Association.