Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) invites the public to join in its second annual Earth Extravaganza from Friday, April 20, to Wednesday, April 24, on the CI campus. The multi-day event celebrating Earth Day and Arbor Day with a combination of festivities and service is free and open to the public.

Hundreds of CI students, faculty and staff are expected to participate in the Earth Extravaganza events, which include a creek restoration project, a ladybug release, planting of CI’s new Palm Arboretum, a national “Tree Campus USA” award presentation, and an Earth Day Festival with bands, information booths and demonstrations.

The event schedule is as follows:

Saturday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to noon – Meet in El Dorado Park (next to El Dorado Hall) on the CI campus to participate in restoration activities on Long Grade Creek. This multi-year effort by students, faculty, staff and community is restoring the watershed and natural habitat for the Least Bell’s Vireo, an endangered bird.

Monday, April 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Join in the Earth Day/Arbor Day Festival at CI’s El Dorado Park.

· 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. – Take a guided tour of the new El Dorado Arboretum (next to El Dorado Hall). Or bring your smart phone and take a virtual tour by scanning QR codes on the tree plaques.

· 11 a.m. – Musical guests the Art Rockers

· 11:30 a.m. – “Tree Campus USA” award presentation. The National Arbor Day Foundation will present President Richard Rush with a plaque honoring CI’s designation as a “Tree Campus USA,” an honor bestowed on 150 campuses nationwide with superior commitment to campus forest management and conservation.

· 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. – Ladybug releases. Help preserve CI’s rose gardens by releasing ladybugs – a natural way to combat damaging garden pests like aphids and spider mites without the use of pesticides.

· 12:30 p.m. – Musical guest Andrew Healy

· 1:30 p.m. – Musical guest Mantis Militia

· All day – Enjoy demonstrations and informational booths by CI’s Operations, Planning & Construction office, Green Generation Club, Environmental Science & Resource Management Program, and the Surf Rider Foundation. Browse eco-friendly vehicles, products, plants and merchandise, and learn about student, campus and community efforts to protect the Earth.

Wednesday, April 24, 10 a.m. to noon – Join students, faculty, staff and the Master Gardeners Club in installing the new Palm Arboretum behind Yuba Hall.

All events are open and free to the public. Limited parking is available on campus with the purchase of a $6 daily permit; follow signs to the parking permit dispensers. Signs will be posted on campus to help guide visitors to Earth Extravaganza events. Free parking is available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road parking lot in Camarillo with bus service to and from the campus. Riders should board the CI Vista Bus to the campus; the cash-only fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.

For more information, contact Austin Eriksson, Student Assistant, Operations, Planning & Construction, at 805-437-3507 or Austin.eriksson680@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is celebrating 10 years of education, innovation, growth and community enrichment during the 2012/2013 academic year. We salute our faculty, staff, students, alumni, supporters, and partners who continue the CI mission of a student-centered education emphasizing international and multicultural perspectives with interdisciplinary and experiential service-oriented learning.

Together, we are solving the problems of today, preparing the leaders and innovators of tomorrow, and contributing to the vitality of higher education.

CSU Channel Islands – A Decade of Distinction