One of Elizabethtown College’s main goals is to provide informative events that students and staff can engage in for meaningful experiences. Many clubs and organizations across campus have been holding events recently to educate students and staff about relevant topics across campus and in the community. One of the topics includes the environment.
One of the many ways that Etown has been positively benefiting the environmental climate in the community is by growing its own produce, including the Pawpaw fruit. The Pawpaw, also known as “North America’s Tropical Fruit,” is a native fruit in the state of Pennsylvania along with many other U.S States. While shaped similarly to papaya, a fruit that has a distinctly sweet flavor, this healthy treat is described as having a more mellow taste like a banana.
Pawpaws also have an important relationship with the environment and the species that are in it. Pawpaws are a host plant to the Zebra Swallowtail larvae, giving them a safe sanctuary to grow until they emerge. The papaw also serves as a main source of food for these insects. Other animals also feast on this sweet treat, including foxes, deer and birds. Etown also happens to grow and harvest their own pawpaws in the Dell near Schlosser Residence Hall. To inform the Etown population about this overlooked fruit, an event was held this past Thursday at the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being Demonstration Kitchen to introduce the endless recipes and fun activities you can have with this fruit.
On Thursday, Sept. 28, the Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability club (SEEDS), the Biodiversity and Health First-Year Seminar and Student Wellness Advocacy Group (SWAG) held a guided tour and taste-testing event in the Bowers Center Demo Kitchen from 3 to 5p.m. The attendees were welcomed to try delicious homemade treats where pawpaw was the main ingredient, including smoothies, flan and salsa. The students were also allowed to take part in themed games to learn more about the pawpaw fruit and its origin. The club decorated the kitchen with zebra swallowtail decorations in honor of the insect that relies on the fruit for nutrients.
The Etownian had the chance to interview social media coordinator of SEEDS, Senior Environmental Science and Graphic Design Jessica Gutekunst, to discuss the mission of the SEEDS club and share the type of events they host every year.
“The mission is to engage students in ecology and environmental science field and encourage them to stop by and get involved. We do a lot of things in the community. We do things like tree planting and checking tree tubes around campus,” Gutekunst stated.
Gutekunst also informed The Etownian about the vital role that the pawpaw fruit has in the environment and the Pennsylvanian ecosystem altogether.
“We have been doing this event for a few years, and it’s mainly because pawpaws are native to Pa., a lot of people do not know about them. We have a grove on campus next to Schlosser, which I did not even know about when I joined the club. Pawpaws also have a great relationship with Pa. wildlife like the Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly which we have hung up around the building. There’s a lot of native Pa. fruits and plants, so we are just hoping to educate the public about the different species,” Gunekunst added.
Having these hands-on campus events gives students and staff a better and up-close understanding of how the world around us interacts and what we can do to preserve the resources around us. Be sure to stay up-to-date for more demos in the demo kitchen at the Bowers Center as the school year progresses.
