The University of Maine at Presque Isle will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on Thursday, April 22, with a day-long schedule of environmentally friendly-themed events, from a morning ceremony at the UMPI wind turbine site to an afternoon tree planting.

Celebrated by countries around the world, Earth Day is a day focused on awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. The first Earth Day was held in 1970.

“Issues around the environment and sustainability efforts have long been important to us at the University of Maine at Presque Isle and we are very pleased to be offering a full day of events in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day,” President Don Zillman said. “This is a time for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to the environment and we invite the community to join us for these Earth Day events.”

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Fine Art Gallery will present the exhibition Evelyn Kok: A Creative Life from April 18 through May 15, highlighting several works by Presque Isle’s own Evelyn Kok.

Evelyn Kok was raised in Boston, Massachusetts surrounded by creative family members. Her mother studied drawing, her father was a master with a paint brush, her grandfather made a square-sided cello and her great-grandfather made cameras; and Kok grew up observing and absorbing it all.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle recently received a visit from Bronwyn W. Williams, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta, who was in northern Maine to make three presentations on campus and conduct research on crayfish worms with Dr. Stuart Gelder, UMPI Emeritus Professor of Biology.

Indie folk songwriter and ukulele enthusiast Katy Pearson, otherwise known as Bearkat, will take the stage in Wieden Auditorium on Saturday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Bearkat’s sound has been compared to Feist, Tom Waits and the Ditty Bops. UMPI officials are pleased to be able to bring Pearson – who has been taking the indie folk pop scene by storm with her quirky songwriting, clever arrangements, uncanny instruments and unbelievable vocal style – to campus.

Bearkat’s music is influenced by her love of French culture, her Russian heritage, and her exposure to a plethora of different music at a very early age. Pearson, who is based in Austin, Texas, said this is her third trip to Maine.

From molecular biology and backcountry evacuations to hosting a medieval faire and performing a Greek tragedy, students at the University of Maine at Presque Isle will be showcasing their academic research, scholarly work and community service on Wednesday, April 14 during the 9th Annual University Day. The theme of this year’s event is Winds of Change: Propelling Progress and Sustainability.

University Day is an event that heightens students’ awareness of the work being done by peers in all of the disciplines represented on campus. The event allows students to better understand how disciplines interrelate and how the academic work they do applies to the local and global community.

Students from the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Native Voices group will host a day-long event meant to develop strong connections between higher education and the Native American/First Nations culture and traditions of the area’s indigenous populations.

The group will host the Third annual Native Appreciation Day from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13 in Wieden Hall. All interested students, faculty, staff, and members of the general public are welcome to attend and participate in this free event, which is being supported by Project Compass.