Members of the Stetson University community will share their Hatter “Green” with the surrounding community during two weeks of celebration and learning for Earth Week and Arbor Day. Activities kick off this weekend with the fourth annual Green Symposium on Friday, April 13, followed by participation in the city of DeLand’s Green Affair Event 2012 downtown on Saturday, April 14.

Registration is still open for the symposium, The Green Edge: Innovation and Sustainability, which will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, April 13, at Stetson’s Lynn Business Center. Hosted by the Volusia County Office of Sustainability and Energy Management, Lake County, Stetson and the City of DeLand, it will offer sessions on sustainability, energy use and conservation, and natural resource management and feature speaker Cynthia Barnett, a journalist and author who specializes in freshwater issues. A student-focused component will prepare students for internships and job opportunities and build networking skills. For more information or to register, visit www2.stetson.edu/conted/greenedge.php. Read Volusia County’s complete news release here.

Stetson organizations including Hatter Harvest, the Gillespie Museum and Stetson Scrappers and students in Visiting Associate Professor of Political Science William Ball’s Civic Engagement class will participate in the city’s Green Affair Event 2012, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 14, on West Indiana Avenue in downtown DeLand. Non-profits, governmental agencies and businesses will exhibit products and practices promoting clean energy and educate the public on local sustainability efforts. Entertainment and food vendors will be offered. The Green Affair is free and open to the public.

Other Earth Week events at Stetson, all of which are free and open to the public, include:

Wednesday, April 18 – Stetson will cancel classes on April 18 for its all-day Stetson Showcase – Undergraduate Research and Creative Arts Symposium, showcasing student research and creative projects from across the DeLand campus’s academic disciplines. Many of the presentations will focus on environmental issues, and the keynote speaker will be Furman University Professor Angela C. Halfacre, who teaches earth and environmental sciences and political science and also directs Furman’s David E. Shi Center for Sustainability. All student presentations and the keynote lecture, to be at 6:30 p.m. in the Stetson Room of the Carlton Union Building, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., are free and open to the public.

Thursday, April 19 – Outdoor Chapel Service, noon, on the Quad,421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand. Join Students Advocating Sustainability at Stetson before and after the service for oak tree seedling collection. In the evening, join the Anime Club for a showing of an earth-friendly film.

Friday, April 20 – Day of service. Different organizations on campus will be leading community service events around Volusia County.

Saturday, April 21 – “A Morning of Earth-Friendly Fun” and a showcase of Stetson’s green initiatives and undergraduate research related to the environment. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Gillespie Museum and adjacent Rinker Environmental Learning Center, located on the southeast corner of the Stetson campus, at234 E. Michigan Ave., DeLand.

Sunday, April 22 – Earth Day Farmers Market, 1 to 4 p.m. Sponsored by Hatter Harvest, this market makes it easy to access fresh, local foods from farmers and gardeners of the DeLand community. Come on out to campus to enjoy live music, wholesome food, and good company– and bring the whole family! Location: in the middle of campus on the Stetson Green, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand.

Friday, April 27 – Arbor Day Celebration and Tree Campus, USA, 3 p.m. on the steps of the Carlton Union Building. Join faculty and students while we learn about our Tree Campus designation and plant trees around campus! Time and location to be announced.

In addition to the Earth Week events that are open to the public, Stetson students and employees will celebrate Earth Week in the university Commons from April 16 to 27. The Commons, Hat Rack and Coffee Shop will be themed for the week and students will be hosting several interactive events inside the CUB. Stop by for bicycle-powered smoothies, bracelet-making, information on summer volunteer programs, and much more!