Carry the Earth’s first exhibition at the 40th Annual Los Angeles Environmental Education Fair. This event was coordinated through the Educational Programs group at the Arboretum. There were 60 other groups exhibiting and approximately 3000 visitors attended this event.

Banner welcoming visitors to the 40th Annual LAEEF

We just finished set up inside the exhibition hall…let the games begin.

It was great to see so many people visiting booths, interacting with displays, picking up hand-outs & flyers, and taking the opportunity to learn about everything from composting to vector control within their community. Many people stopped by the booth to read the story board, watch a video (featuring original audio by C Hough, globe 16), see & handle the globes on display and learn about the project. This was an excellent opportunity to share Carry the Earth with the community. It provided us with a platform to explain what the project was about, what it had accomplished, so far, and to share our environmental concerns while learning about similar concerns from others.

Ronnie discussing how the project works with visitors. Globes attracted attention as visitors to the exhibit were curious how they were made and designed for the project.

It was great to see the wide-eyed look of children as they looked through globe 15 (glass, on display) to see the penguins painted on the south pole. Students and parents appreciated seeing & holding the unpainted globe made from a bio-degradable polymer on a 3D printer, and learning how each globe was then hand-painted with a unique theme. It was great to see the appreciative smiles of all who read the story board’s featured posts: Bake Sale for the Planet and The Cookie Tree (globe 2), or Meatless for a Week – how a family in The Netherlands adapted to a vegetarian diet (globe 23, they shared their recipes and they look really good). Following Ronnie’s Messenger Birds (globe 1), she brought an opportunity for political action via origami to the exhibit. Many young people, who were so motivated, described an environmental concern of theirs and then folded their paper into a penguin. These new messenger birds were then mailed to environmentally minded politicians either currently in office, or running for office. It was great to see so many people, young and old, interested in their community and the environment. So many students attended, both as exhibitors and visitors, from local school districts. The Arboretum offers LA residents beautifully landscaped gardens to walk and explore most days of the year, plus educational programs. It was nice to be part of their effort to share what’s going on in the community with respect to public spaces, programs and the environment. This event felt like a real success in the reception received and opportunity to meet and talk with people with similar concerns. It’s worth checking out next year. In the meantime, 25 globes are in 14 countries. What would you do if the earth was in your hands?

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