Written By: Izzy Bernie

On Tuesday, April 22, people around the world will celebrate Earth Day—a global holiday dedicated to showing support for environmental protection. At RCDS, this means students can look forward to the annual Earth Day Fair, taking place from 1 to 3 p.m. This year, Earth Day’s theme is Our Power, Our Planet. calling for people to unite around renewable energy to triple clean electricity generation by 2030.

Organized by the Enviro Club and faculty members such as Ms. Linderoth, the fair will include a wide variety of earth-themed activities, student-led booths, and exciting special events. “This year, in addition to the fair that will showcase student work and earth related activities, we will also have a reptile show, a giant earth balloon that people can go inside, the Nature Station from Rye Nature Center, tours of our new anaerobic digester for food waste, nature walks on East Campus, and more!” Ms. Linderoth shared. 

Enviro club leader Leo Roth ‘25 shared more about the anaerobic digester, explaining that, “We’ll also have tours of the ZEUS digester available for students who are interested in learning about food waste on campus.” The fair will be a fun way to learn more about how this new machine works, and why it matters. 

Roth mentioned the fair will be available to all students and faculty at RCDS, no matter the division and it will be a fun time to learn more about how students are involved with sustainability all around campus and beyond. He explained that “Students will be hosting booths centered around environmental innovation, research, and activism. It’s always amazing to see such a wide range of passionate students!”

Anika Bhat ‘25, a co-leader of the Enviro club, is especially excited about this year’s fair. “The Earth Day Fair is definitely one of my favorite events of the school year. While I oversee all of the booths to make sure people are attending them as one of the Enviro Club’s presidents, I help run the photo booth,” Bhat explains. She loves running the photo booth because she gets to see all of the excitement of the Earth Day Fair, as well as watching upper school students guide younger students through activities, share their excitement, and further their dedication to sustainability. She also mentioned that, “Near the photo booth are more hands-on activities that students can engage in, including planting seeds that you can take home to grow” which is something that RCDS students can look forward to.

Along with the Earth balloon and the reptile show, students can also check out the annual documentary screenings in the PAC, and the interactive booths set up all around the fair, to enjoy being outside with friends while learning how to care for the planet. There is really something for everyone at this fair, and “these activities are always done with a big group of students from all grades, making it so easy to make new, sustainability-minded friends” Bhat says. 

In the days leading up to the fair, students can still get involved, even if they’re not in Enviro Club. There are lots of ways to help out, like setting up booths, volunteering at stations, or encouraging friends to come and check out a certain activity or presentation. Whether it’s planting seeds with younger students, going on a nature walk, or asking questions during a digester tour, every little thing makes a difference and helps build a more sustainable future for the RCDS community. 

Other details were shared at the community meeting on Monday, April 21st. Earth Day at RCDS is celebrated in a way that’s fun, educational, and full of spirit all around the community!