UTA Libraries Celebrates Earth Day, Promotes Sustainability with Bounty of Nature

This article was written by our editorial assistant, Sophie Spruce. 

The University of Texas at Arlington Libraries hosted its annual Bounty of Nature event series this April in celebration of Earth Day.

Throughout the month, students joined in on sewing, composting, and cooking workshops that promoted sustainability.

Grace Backus, Experiential Learning Events Coordinator, led both the sewing and cooking workshops and was pleased at the interest students showed.

“As Earth Day approaches, UTA Libraries recognizes the importance of providing workshops that will teach students new skills while also promoting sustainability,” Backus said.

Bounty of Nature included monthly regulars, Sew Sustainable and Maverick Kitchen, plus two new workshops focused on gardening and composting.

Nisha Nanda, a sophomore studying marketing, hadn’t previously attended Bounty of Nature but attended April’s Sew Sustainable hoping to further her sewing skills.

“I haven’t used a sewing machine since I was in eighth grade,” Nanda said. “This was pretty cool because I wanted to get back into it.”

She planned to use what she had learned to fix her backpack that was beginning to rip.

Bounty of Nature continued later in the week with a workshop that taught students how to reuse food scraps to grow new plants. After decorating their pots, they learned about how heirloom plants are more sustainable than hybrids.

“Heirloom plants are more nutritional than genetically modified plants,” said Milaun Murry, Experiential Learning and Outreach Librarian. “They are also cheaper because their seeds can be recycled to grow more produce each year and ripen more evenly, providing a longer supply of vegetables than store bought plants.”

The UTA Libraries FabLab also hosted a complementary workshop about the basics of composting. FabLab Librarian, Morgan Chivers, walked students through a step-by-step process, where they were able to create their own small compost box.  

Sarovi Das, a third year PhD student in biology, heard about the composting workshop from Chivers during an earlier Bounty of Nature event. Das had previously tried composting but was excited to learn more and create a smaller space that was easily accessible for a student.

“People need to know about this given the situation about this climate,” she said. “I feel these kinds of events should be done more.”

Das was surprised to learn the balance for composting is to find a system that is good for the compost, but also good for the humans caring for the compost, which includes creating a product that does not smell.  

“That makes the whole thing a lot easier and a more… attractive option to buying soil,” she said.

Bounty of Nature concluded with a vegan inspired Maverick Kitchen, where students learned to make three types of hummus.

During the workshop, Backus also explained how lemon halves can be repurposed to clean the blades of a garbage disposal.

“Most things have more than one purpose,” she said. “It’s just a matter of finding out how something can be reused before it is eventually disposed.”

Nayeli Gonzalez, a junior in nursing, attended Maverick Kitchen because she was interested in learning about food from another culture.

“We never learned how to make hummus,” Gonzalez said. “In my house, we don’t really adventure out.”

Throughout April, Bounty of Nature offered a space for the community to begin conversations about environmental awareness, sustainability, and recycling. Gonzalez believes UTA Libraries plays an important role in that kind education.

“Because it’s such a central area for all students… it’s the one place that is going to educate you,” Gonzalez said. “I think that’s [the Libraries’] role in sustainability.”