Awareness, appreciation and an anniversary – it’s all a part of Missouri Southern’s Earth Day celebrations, April 21-25.

These dates mark Campus Appreciation Week, which goes along with Earth Day on Tuesday.

“It’s a call to the students to smell the roses and appreciate the beauty we have on campus,” said Dr. Ann Marlowe, professor of English.

Marlowe began Campus Appreciation Week five years ago, and this year she has organized a tree planting to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Biology Pond.

The celebration will take place at 1:30 p.m., Thursday at the Biology Pond. A flowering cherry tree will be planted along with a plaque commemorating the 30th anniversary, which actually occurred in the fall of 2002.

The tree and plaque cost $50, which was provided by Dr. Larry Martin, vice president for business affairs. The campus maintenance crew will assist with the planting.

Eventually, the pond will be surrounded by a Japanese garden. Russell G. Smith II, a former member of the Board of Regents, has already donated a red bridge for the pond to help support the creation of the garden.

On Thursday, several faculty members will speak at the planting, including Dr. John Messick, dean of the school of arts and sciences; Smith; Bob Harrington, director of the physical plant; Rod Surber, director of public information; Dr. John Knapp, professor of geophysics; and Robert Heth, assistant professor of biology. Joplin City Council member Rebecca Kanan will speak as well. An acoustic band may also play.

Julie Blackford, director of student activities, and Student Senate members will also attend. All faculty, students and community members are invited.

Marlowe hopes the celebration will create awareness throughout the campus about environmental issues.

“I think we need to recognize our place in the world and that we need to take care of our proper priorities,” she said. “We need to get down to our basic roots. We’re in the world, why not enjoy the world that we have?”

In addition to the tree planting, the Sustainability class has been planning activities to take place on the oval for Thursday. Although Earth Day actually occurs Tuesday, the class set the date for April 24 because it meets on Thursdays.

The class is team-taught by Knapp; Dr. Tom Simpson, associate professor of political science; and Dr. Nii Abrahams, assistant professor of economics.

Knapp said by teaching the class this way, students can understand the business, public policy and science aspects of environmental issues.

“The class discusses various ways to be more energy efficient in the long-run,” he said.

The Sustainability students first organized Earth Day activities last year as one large group. This year, the class divided into five committees: financial, vendors, entertainment and speakers, publicity and administrative.

The committees have organized several activities for the day, including speakers, demonstrations and acoustic music. The Honda Hybrid car, donated by Roper Honda, will be on display.

Representatives from many organizations such as the Green Party, Joplin Bike and Fitness, Battery Outfitters, Joplin Recycling, Neosho Recycling, Harmon, Fox Farm Foods, Prairie State Park, the Audobon Society and NORMAL will be in attendance.

“There will be enough going on that it should keep people interested,” Knapp said.

Knapp, along with Katie Pierson, sophomore biology major and Sustainability student, said creating awareness is the goal of the day.

“There’s not enough awareness of the different things we’re going to be presenting,” Pierson said. “There’s not a real awareness on campus or anywhere else for that matter.”

Knapp hopes the activities his class has planned will help make students aware of what they can do to help make the country more energy efficient in the long-run.

“We just want to get more awareness of how local problems really can be global problems,” he said. “It’s one person doing a little something different that adds up to a big difference. We want to try to get that message out.”

Marlowe said “the enthusiasm for life itself is our key” for Thursday.

Activities last from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The last event, the tree planting, begins at 1:30 p.m.