The Biological Honors Society, also known as Beta Beta Beta or TriBeta, hosted the first annual Fall Festival on October 21 at the Wachtmeister Field House. Donations from the Fall Festival were given to Bittersweet Farm, a certified organic farm in Canton that funds Friends of Bittersweet Farm. This nonprofit educational foundation supports community outreach programs such as farming lessons and scholarships. Today Bittersweet Farm also has a log cabin where SLU student interns and members of the community can stay and work on the farm learning organic, sustainable methods.
The festival was open to the community and kids of all ages. It showcased board games, skeletons, batteries made from water bottles and mud, and even a live owl to educate kids about ecology sustainability and the environment. In addition to these activities, Maria Hall, class of 2012, presented a summary of her senior project on white nose syndrome in bats, a white fungus that grows on bats’ noses and threatens many species in the Canton area. “It is important to get people to understand the animals around them,” Hall said.
Susan Sattler, a licensed wildlife educator and falconer, does just that. Ms. Sattler brought her Eurasian Eagle Owl, Marley, to the festival on Saturday. Working from her Phoenix Rising Farm in Lisbon, Sattler travels to schools across the state in an effort to educate students about these beautiful birds of prey and the habitat they live in.
Erin Siracuse, president of Beta Beta Beta, echoed Hall’s views when she stated, “It is important to engage kids in nature and give them hands on experience.” By raising awareness among young and old alike, Tri-Beta and SLU students hoped to educate people on the environment we live in today and future threats to it. The Field Day was a huge success in allowing SLU to reach out to the community. Watch out for Beta Beta Beta’s annual Brain Blast in the Spring, which will focus on neurology and anatomy.
