Let’s celebrate Earth Day 2017 

April 22 marks 47 years of annual awareness event

By Ella Golovey, conservation intern
Mark those calendars for April 22 — it’s Earth Day and time to celebrate Mother Nature. Join people from around the world in raising awareness about environmental issues and making positive changes to keep the planet clean and healthy.

Earth Day was founded in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson with the hope of raising awareness of air and water pollution and bringing environmental protection to the national level. Some major events that lead up to the formation of Earth Day include: the widespread use of pesticides, discussed in Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring”; Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River catching on fire due to chemical waste released into the water, and the major Santa Barbara oil spill of 1969.

These and other events inspired people to try to make a difference and advocate for environmental protection. Hence, Earth Day was formed. It has been 47 years since the first Earth Day, and people all around the world continue to make promises to help the environment and make positive changes in their community. Appreciate Mother Nature this year by doing some of the following activities:

● Attend an Earth Day fair
● Make a recycling plan
● Fix leaky faucets
● Carpool
● Ride a bike
● Give up bottled water
● Get together with friends and join a cleanup effort along hiking trails, beaches, and creeks

To learn more about Earth Day, visit www.earthday.org and www.epa.gov/earthday for more information. Take a moment on April 22 to think about the Earth and enjoy what it has to offer.