Blog Entry #29

Last week I attended the Earth Day Texas event in Dallas and my experience taught me about the different ways to better connect people to the environment.

First the entire event is really well put together. Organizations have booths set up throughout Fair Park where they tell people their projects and goals. As well as environmental groups, many corporations use this opportunity to advertise themselves. Although I found these groups very annoying, I suspect they pay fees to attend and subsidize the event. There is food and music and Earth Day Texas is a social experience as much as an educational one, and its success has made it the largest event of its kind in Texas.

The various organizations did a fantastic job of integrating technology into their displays. The most memorable part was using virtual reality to explore coral reefs and rainforests. My only suggestion for improvement is to ask the visitors for a donation or support immediately after their journey, as I would have been very likely to help out after the amazing experience brought to me by high quality VR.

My biggest issue with the event was actually that it was an entertaining rather than educational experience. It attracts a lot of people, but may not do much for the greater Earth Day Movement. Still, I have many things to learn from the attendance and will continue to reflect on the means of Earth Day Texas's success.