Earthstock 2009 pulsed with activity as students, staff, and visitors wandered the Stony Brook University campus Friday, walking past displays that each carried their own earth-friendly message.
There was never a dull moment during the Earthstock Opening Festival, which kicked off at 10 a.m. as passersby were met with presentations that spanned the entire Academic Mall.
Earthstock 2009 was home to more than 100 vendors and exhibitors, with campus clubs like Circle K Citizens and the Color Guard. Off-campus exhibitors included representatives from Blue Ocean Institute, Inc., a “maritime safety organization that uses science, art, and literature to inspire a deeper connection with the sea,” according to its web site.
Nardy Honda of Smithtown sent a display of environment-friendly cars that took up the part of the Earthstock exhibit by the Student Activities Center.
Tables throughout the Academic Mall offered free crafts or earth-friendly items for sale like spa products and jewelry.
At one point a turtle from the Wild By Nature table managed to escape its enclosure, but was quickly put back by the showman, who also held a python casually on his shoulders. Passersby would often do a double take of the massive snake, sneak a pet of its scaly skin, shudder, giggle, and walk away.
Aztec dancers performed on the grassy lawn in front of the Melville Library and street performers on stilts mingled with the public during the festival, offering entertainment during the entire afternoon’s activities.
The vibrant beat never stopped with a drumming circle that gave the afternoon a constant rhythm, with drummers rotating in and out of the circle of chairs.
Pete Moss and the Fertilizers took the stage in front of the Administration building, performing covers of songs to a growing audience for the duration of the festival. Faculty and student performers caught attention at the SAC stage. At one point audience members broke out into dance in front of the Zebra Path, showing appreciation for the music as well as amusing themselves and onlookers.
The Reduce, Reuse, Relay took place on the Staller steps, where teams made various objects out of recyclable material and proudly touted about their finished products.
Hundreds of red rubber ducks competed in the Rubber Duck Races at 2 p.m., racing down the “stony brook” between Staller and the Administration building amidst shouts and cheers by their adoptive parents. The numbered ducks colored the brook and fountain red for a while until the last of the contestants had to be retrieved by net.
The Ice Cream Social kicked off immediately after the duck races, the line stretching from the Staller steps to the Humanities building.
Onlookers enjoyed the sunny day by wandering past the many tables and exhibitions that were meant to increase environmental awareness. Students and faculty calmly did yoga across the path from a giant teepee courtesy of the Wilderness Traveling Museum.