WKU showed off its resource conservation efforts at Centennial Mall on Friday to celebrate Earth Day.

Sustainability Coordinator Christian-Ryan Downing said the festival included around 50 tables representing various campus and community organizations, like Fair Trade WKU, Feel Good and WKU Dining Services. Attendees also had the opportunity to see a Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in gasoline electric hybrid vehicle.

“As a sustainable university, we want to celebrate Earth Day,” Ryan-Downing said.

Students who attended, including Bardstown senior Susan Livers, the event felt that sustainability was a cause worth promoting.

“Everybody’s got to figure out how they can help,” Livers said. “I think this is a great way to do it because everybody can see what fits them best and how they can help.”

One of the ways students were encouraged to help was a pledge not to use disposable plastic bottles.

It was one of the initiatives the festival was meant to highlight.

“It’s just a way for people to learn about what’s going on sustainability-wise on campus and in the community,” Ryan-Downing said.

Students like Bowling Green freshman John Greer also celebrated at the festival out of concern for the future.

“I think it’s become evident as of late that the resources that we’re expending have kind of had this really big impact on our environment, and it’s been a negative one,” Greer said. “And in order to combat that, we need to conserve the amount of resources we’re expending and try to make an effort to conserve so that we can protect the environment for future generations.”

For more on this story, check out Tuesday’s edition of the Herald.