Students at the Joliet Job Corps Center celebrated Earth Day by doing good deeds, learning about sustainable farming methods and planting roses.

Although the national celebration of Earth Day was on April 22, the events at the Center have occurred throughout the month and will continue next week. Building Construction Technology students will visit the “green” buildings at Joliet Junior College on May 5.

For a group of Culinary Arts students, the highlight of the celebration was a trip on Friday to Creekside Natural Farm in Minooka, Illinois. Owners Bill and Pam Kunke raise chickens, vegetables and alpacas without using any chemical sprays or fertilizers. A few days earlier, members of the Center’s Green Team collected unneeded text books from the Academic classrooms so they can be donated to SCARCE, a book depository in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and used by students at other schools.

The Pharmacy Tech students learned about the environmentally correct ways to dispose of medications from Marta Keane, Will County’s Recycling Specialist.

To make the Center a more beautiful place, the BCT students planted roses, and a group of Culinary Arts students created an herb garden nearby.

Sue Kunke of Creekside Natural Farm holds a chicken so Joliet Job Corps Center students can stroke its feathers.

Grad 90 students went to Joliet’s Union Station on Friday for a beautification project. They picked up garbage in the area, making the rail station a better place for travelers.