Earth Action Day shares sustainability with community

Earth Action Day on Saturday might not have made any money for the business where David Boynton works, but he said it was successful in teaching people how to make their homes energy-efficient.

“It’s not a competition,” said Boynton, sales director for Southern Energy Management, which helps clients integrate renewable energy options in buildings. “That’s not why we’re here.”

His was one of about 80 booths at the event, coordinated by the Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department, which drew a record crowd in its third year, said Natasha Wayne, event coordinator.

About 2,000 people came to Southern Community Park to learn about sustainability, Wayne said.

Wes Tilghman, supervisor of festivals and special events for the department, said the event was held on Saturday because Sunday would mark the first day of Environmental Education Week.

“It’s exceeded our expectations,” he said.

The event also boasted activities such as clothing swaps, puppet shows and food tastings.

Love Chapel Hill, a church that meets at the Varsity Theatre on East Franklin Street, was there for the first time, handing out seeds at its kiosk.

The church started a community garden that benefits the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service’s Community Kitchen.

Other booths, like the ones manned by Ten Thousand Villages and Epoch Solutions, sold environmentally responsible wares such as rain barrels because the event attracts prospective customers.

Ten Thousand Villages, which has a space in the Shops at Eastgate, is a nonprofit organization that sells crafts made by workers in third-world countries like Ethiopia and Haiti, said Keilayn Skutvik, the store’s manager.

“People who come to these events are more likely to buy than others,” she said.

Julie Mullin of Fiberactive Organics spent the day selling napkins, table cloths, tote bags and other items made of organic cotton and donated fabric.

Elise Bruce brought her kids to the event so they could learn about sustainability, too.

“It’s nice to see our community come together to make a difference,” she said.



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