Framingham State's "Green Festival," the signature event hosted by the university in preparation for Earth Day on April 28, brought together students and community members who care about being "green."

"I've always been passionate about recycling," said senior Sarah Howe, president of the Green Team club at FSU. "I'm trying to do my part."

Students and local residents manned booths Wednesday afternoon in the McCarthy Center and spread awareness about green living. The festival also included a discussion about the state's Climate Adaptation Plan, which was led by Phillip Griffith, Massachusetts under-secretary of environmental affairs in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

Framingham State has been recognized as a Green College by the Princeton Review two years in a row.

Framingham residents Alex Volfson, 24, and Mike Hipson, 19, represented their budding local organization, Transition Framingham. Volfson and Hipson are not Framingham State students; they describe themselves as "concerned community members" who want to increase awareness about the danger of fossil fuels, among other environmental concerns. 

Their goals include encouraging the establishment of community gardens and local currency. Their efforts fall under the national "Transition" movement.

"It's not as much about creating change as a group as it is about inspiring others," Volfson said.

"We no longer live in a society where we believe we have a responsibility to act," Hipson said.