The Environmental Action Coalition (EAC) hosted a Harvest Festival at the KIPOS Community Garden on Oct. 23.  

The event featured thrifting, art projects, freshly baked bread, tacos and soup made by Sodexo and live music from the Snacks at Midnight band.  

The purpose of the Harvest Festival was to gain support for the EAC garden, bring people together and to initiate conversations about sustainable practices on campus, said Haley Horsburgh, ASWU sustainability coordinator. 

There was a good turnout, with many off-campus students among those who came, said Horsburgh. 

“[The EAC] likes to advertise the garden and bring people out [to it] because not many people know about it,” said Horsburgh.  

The garden is a short walk from the Whitworth campus, located across the street from The Pines Cafe. It includes an area where produce is grown, a chicken coop with three chickens and a compost pile maintained by the garden manager and EAC members.  

For students who want to be involved in the garden, there are garden workdays offered in the spring around April, said Hannah Duncan, EAC co-president. Currently, the garden is being winterized.  

“In the meantime, this year people who are interested in the garden should come to our meetings because the garden is potentially going to be torn down,” said Duncan.  

The mission of the EAC is environmental advocacy and action on campus, said Duncan.  

For instance, “[The EAC] wrote policy into Whitworth last year to fund bus passes and keep them going for free for sustainable travel,” said Jael Allen, EAC co-president.  

The EAC also advocated protecting 100 to 200 pine trees from being cut down to create space for parking lots, said Allen. 

“If you’re interested in the environment or really anything surrounding gardening and environment, [The EAC] would love to have you check it out,” said Horsburgh.  

The EAC meetings are bi-weekly and held at 6 p.m. on Mondays. For more information about the EAC, email [email protected] or follow the Instagram @Whitworth_eac_.