Earth Day Resource Fair Wrap-up

The inaugural South Portland Earth Day Resource Fair took place on April 26th at the local community center. The original plan was to have the event at Mill Creek Park, but due to a deluge of rain, the location was switched just days beforehand. Luckily, the planning committee had prepared for this and the shift was not as frantic as one may have thought. The vendors were all notified and thankfully that did not deter any of them from participating.

At 8:30am, vendors, including Dirigo Science Connection started to arrive to set up their tables and presentations. The layout was well-organized, with each vendor having their own specific spot, with labels on the floor and an associated map to help them find their way. DSC was front and center, right at the entry way of the event, in the community center gym.

Our table’s theme and question was, “How can you be a leader in your community?” People (mostly kids) were coming up and writing down ways they can make a difference in our community. Many of the responses revolved around cleaning up, taking care of animals, and being kind; all incredible ways to lead here in South Portland!

The event itself turned out to be a huge success with over 400 people attending, along with News Center Maine’s own meteorologist, Dana Osgood and News 8 coming to get some footage. We had a diverse group of vendors sharing resources on sustainability, gardening, conservation, nature, community engagement and so much more. Overall, for our first event we absolutely crushed it! This was a remarkable foundation to build upon as we strive to make it even bigger and better next year.