Earth Day Eats at the University of Lynchburg

On April 22, 2019, the University of Lynchburg will be hosting a lunch celebrating Earth Day in the dining hall.

The Burton dining hall will have a selection of locally sourced items such fish, hamburgers, vegetables and tofu in observance of Earth Day.

Michial Neal, the co-director and chef at the University of Lynchburg, said their goal is to bring awareness to dining services’ environmental initiatives.

The local vendors supplying the food and representatives from the University of Lynchburg’s green chemical supplier will be present at the event to educate students on environmentally friendly practices.

University of Lynchburg Dining Services have been working on their overarching theme of “impacting our community and beyond” by donating to shelters, composting, teaching vocational skills to students with special needs, and buying from local food producers.

Shaun Dearden, co-director and operations manager, said, “Everything that we do is for the students. The students fund everything we do, so we’re really focused on being good stewards of the dollars that our students pay for the meal plans. But when there are leftovers, they're not just discarded. So we’re trying to be good stewards, but also trying to impact the environment.”

University of Lynchburg students often look forward to the dining hall’s special meals because they add more variety than the regular options.

Hannah Belaychi, a freshman at the University of Lynchburg, said “I like the theme meals because it's something different than what we normally eat every other day. It's a nice change. They also connect the food to themes we know, like SpongeBob or Harry Potter, and that makes it a lot more exciting.”

To try locally sourced food and participate in giveaways, the Earth Day celebration will begin at 11 a.m. in the Burton Dining hall on April 22.