Newsroom

Earth Day was in full bloom this spring when Raritan Valley Community College celebrated the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the College’s new public trail on campus. Approximately 40 people, including students, faculty, and staff, RVCC Board of Trustees and Foundation Board members, and representatives from the Somerset County Business Partnership attended the event, which featured remarks from the College community.

Mike Marion, Executive Director of the RVCC Foundation and Alumni Association, started off the occasion by noting that the theme for the RV Trail is “Recharge. Restore. Renew,” and that it’s being developed “for the community, by the community.” Eventually, several information pods will be placed along the trail highlighting themes of ecology, history, and sustainability. “The RV Trail provides another example of how the College serves as an anchor institution for the community at large,” Marion said.

Other speakers during the event included Isabella Scricco, Environmental Science major and President of the Environmental Club, RVCC Class of 2026; Julia Fiore, RVCC Sustainability and Energy Coordinator; and RVCC Professor Dr. Emilie Stander, Co-Director of the College’s Center for Environmental Studies, who noted that the trail will be used as a living lab for her Environmental Science students.

After the remarks and ribbon-cutting ceremony, several participants took an inaugural .4 mile hike on the trail, which will be approximately 2.5 miles in length when it’s completed later this summer. The trail is being created thanks to the hard work of RVCC facilities staff members Samuel (Santos) Callejas and Jose Giraldo.

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April 24, 2025

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383