With caramel apple dipping and electronics recycling last Friday, the Penn Environmental Group promoted going green with Greenfest 2008.
An annual event held on College Green, Greenfest is part of PEG's Eco-Week that helps promote environmentally friendly initiatives and educate students about sustainability.
PEG was started in the 1970s in an attempt to increase awareness and enlighten the Penn community on global environmental issues and strategies to conserve the environment.
Greenfest hosted a diverse set of PEG groups, all of which were successful in attracting a large number of students throughout the day. Wharton sophomore Aisha Saraf said, "I'm so glad PEG hosts this event, as it is the only way students are informed of the need for recycling, which is so important on a large campus."
College senior and PEG associate director of Off-campus Initiatives Ashley Templeton, who was one of the event organizers, said PEG is working "directly with numerous services and facilities on campus such as Dining [Services and] the Bookstore."
PEG also works with Philadelphia-based organizations such as Philly Car Share to help spread its green initiatives.
PEG member and College senior Noah Aptekar believes the group's expansion has contributed to its recent success.
One of PEG's most noteworthy developments has been the establishment of a Sustainability Coordinator, Daniel Garofalo, whose job includes enhancing Penn's green projects such as waste management, recycling and energy conservation.
In addition to environmental sustainability, PEG groups out on College Green promoted the great outdoors. Sophomore Nick Grief of Penn Outdoors, a group that hosts weekly adventure sports activities, said his group "often plans trips to places out of Philadelphia, such as the Grand Canyon, for students with an interest in outdoor activities."
Recently, Penn also has been a vigorous supporter of local food initiatives through PEG's Farmecology, a group that aims to provide healthier and fresher produce to the campus.
