Earth Day 2026: Snakeplants, Succulents, Camaraderie and Community
In a way, the Cherry Blossom trees told the whole story.
Representing beauty, renewal, and impermanence, the Cherry Blossom trees, now in their glory, rolled out pink carpets of snowy leaves for faculty, staff, and students who traded in their books for spades, digging in for a (brisk!) afternoon of camaraderie and community during Queensborough’s Earth Day celebration held last Wednesday.
Francis Nici, a second semester Education major was weeding out dandelions and planting Begonias not far from the delicate, young flowering tree planted during last year’s Earth Day to celebrate the life of Joseph P. Cartolano, who for 30 years served Queensborough as its Chief Superintendent of the Department of Buildings and Grounds.
Over by the Engineering Technology building, Erika Gaynor was busy raking leaves and planting perennials. “This is my second time volunteering for Earth Day,” smiled Erika, an Administrative Coordinator in the Office of Community Standards.
Back on the Quad, Mel Rodriguez, Office of Environmental Health and Safety, stood at a table ready to receive old electronics to be recycled. “Laptops, monitors, computers, batteries and cell phones all contain materials that cannot be thrown in with regular trash.”
Under the Science Atrium, Aylim Bravo was eager to share her interest in the Environmental Sciences, specifically the fragility of some 5200 animal species in danger of extinction. Aylim, a Liberal Arts major, is President of the QCC Chapter of SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science). She held up one of many large, color photographs of endangered animals. “This is an Axolotl, a species of salamander,” Aylim explained. “As a Mexican, this is a very special animal to me — this animal is only exclusively found in Xochimilco, a place close to Mexico City."
Read more about the SACNAS Club, a forum to come together for academic, social, and service activities.
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