On Sunday, April 21, the Atherton Earth Day Festival was held in Holbrook Palmer park between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. With over 60 vendors, the event brought a variety of activities, ranging from electric leaf blower bowling to a local art exhibition.
Of the many attractions, the herd of lawn-mowing sheep from UC Davis were highly popular. Both cute and effective, the sheep competed with a robot in a game of lawn-mowing. Assistant professor Haven Kiers from UC Davis explained, “We want to show off the benefits of using sheep to mow lawns, beyond just how efficient they are, but that it makes people happier and less stressed.”
The sheep were previously released on the UCD campus to mow lawns during exam season to help reduce stress, and are now being sent out to the greater community. “We also want to show sheep are really good in other places,” Kiers said, “they’re really good for fire reduction, they’re good in [agricultural] systems, between the rows of vineyards, or as part of agrivoltaics.” When asked about their mowing plans, the sheep declined to comment.
Another popular spot was the chicken pen, where people were invited to pet chickens and learn about the benefits of these backyard feathery friends. Peninsula Feed Store owner Ken Brock said, “Chickens are a very renewable resource, they’re very amenable to the earth, and what they leave behind makes excellent fertilizer for vegetables.” Chickens are great backyard pets for other reasons too––“They remove any slugs and bugs,” Brock said.
Beyond these less apparent advantages, chickens have one outstanding benefit––eggs. According to Brock, a single chicken bred for laying eggs can produce up to 300 a year, while those bred for style can produce up to 100 eggs a year. For those interested in chickens, Brock recommended looking up local city regulations and talking to chicken owners.
Beyond the various vendors and non-profits around the large central field, a few small stands stood near Jennings Pavilion. Volunteers Josie Kleiman and Sophie Peachy managed a clothing exchange, where people could donate clothes they no longer used and exchange them for other donated clothes. “We want to make sure that clothes are still being rotated when people are done using them,” Kleiman said, “instead of ending up in landfills, and when they’re still great to wear.”
Various other amusements occupied the area, including a pop-up bug museum and a stand for the Beekeeper’s Guild of San Mateo County.
Within the pavilion itself was an art exhibition featuring pieces made by students of various ages. The art encompassed all mediums from photography to sculpture, and a selection of interactive pieces, like a hands-on decorative penguin sculpture. All the works centered around the theme of climate.
