APEX, N.C. — Organizations all over the state celebrated Earth Day Friday. It’s a global event that’s been around for more than 50 years, bringing together people who want a healthier, more sustainable environment.
What You Need To Know
Apex is hosting its first-ever Earth Day festival Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
A youth-led organization called Dedicated to our Community of North Carolina is behind the initiative
High school sophomore Arya Kamath believes politicians haven’t been doing nearly enough to tackle climate change
One example is the town of Apex, which is gearing up to host its first-ever Earth Day festival. Apex officials are working with a youth-led organization called Dedicated to our Community of North Carolina, or DOC NC, to put the event on.
Arya Kamath, a sophomore at Research Triangle High School, opens up about the group’s efforts over the last few months.
“We’ve gotten all of our members to grab their old T-shirts, stuff that they don’t wear anymore, and just donate it to us,” said Kamath, the marketing coordinator for DOC NC.
Those T-shirts will be a key feature at their upcycling booth at the Apex Earthfest, where the group will showcase how to make tote bags from those T-shirts that would otherwise end up as waste in a landfill.
Kamath says she’s excited about the event, which is Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
“I feel like I’m making change on a local level, which community-level change goes a long way,” Kamath said.
The goal of the event is to educate members of the community about sustainability and ways to protect our planet.
“This is a really nice way for people my age to try and educate, and spread, and impact about the environment,” Kamath said. “I believe the first way to get everyone concerned about the environment is to educate them about it.”
DOC NC will also educate kids and adults about how to make seed paper, an eco-friendly way to take recycled paper, blend it with water into a smooth pulp and then add in flower or plant seeds.
“You leave it out in the sun for two to three days,” said Saraahi Shroff, a member of DOC NC. “It should dry up with the seeds in there. And then when you water them and put them in your garden, they will grow up into wildflowers with butterflies in your garden.”
Kamath believes politicians haven’t been doing nearly enough to tackle climate change. That’s why she and her peers are pushing for community-level change.
“We realize if we don’t start to do something then community change is not going to be possible. It’s up to us because we’re the people who are going to be taking the Earth next. It’s up to us to be able to make it sustainable,” she said.
Apex Earthfest will feature other vendors, food trucks, kids’ activities, live music and a sustainable fashion show.