RADFORD --The Radford University community celebrated the 40th anniversary of Earth Day Thursday on RU’s Heth Lawn. Sponsored by the RU Environmental Club, RU’s Earth Day Festival included over 40 campus organizations, environmental organizations and green businesses.

President Penelope W. Kyle discussed the founding of the environmental movement of the 1960s and shared many examples of Radford University’s historic and continued commitment to sustainability with the hundreds of students, faculty, staff and visitors who gathered for the event’s opening ceremony.

Kyle was then joined by Dennis W. Grady, chair of RU’s Sustainability Steering Committee and dean of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies, and representatives of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity -- both winners of Green Greek Awards -- in planting a commemorative tree on the lawn in front of Reed-Curie Hall.

(In the photo at right: Dean Grady, left, President Kyle and Joe Rudolph, vice president of the RU Environmental Club.)

RU’s Earth Day Festival continued with additional speakers promoting the message of change and sustainability. Among those featured were John Verbeck, a green energy and technology entrepreneur, who is president of Blacksburg-based JAS Energy, and Julio Stephens, RU’s sustainability coordinator.

The day’s activities also included live performances by the Colin Thompson Band, IMRA and Feed God Cabbage.

Festival participants also enjoyed an “Organic Valley Funzone,” sponsored by the Recreation Workshop and RU Outdoors, which included a climbing wall and other interactive, environmentally-friendly activities.

Regional green businesses and organizations participating in the RU Earth Day Festival included the Blue Mountain Organics, Heritage Food USA, the Johnson Ridge Farm and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Scenes from RU's Earth Day Festival: Left, Pat McNamara shows his skill on the climbing wall. Top right, local band "Feed God Garbage" performs. Bottom right, students check out tables displaying earth-friendly items and highlighting clubs' involvement in environmental projects. For more photos, visit RU's Facebook page.