Thoughts On Earth Day

Biohabitats’ Leaf Litter
Vol. 4 Number 2
http://www.biohabitats.com/ndg_newsite/newsletter/number.15/

Thoughts On Earth Day

There is some debate over who came up with the original concept of Earth Day. Some attribute it to peace activist John McConnell, who first introduced the idea of an international Earth Day, celebrated on the vernal equinox (around March 21), at a 1969 UNESCO conference on the environment. Many credit Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, who organized the first April 22 Earth Day event as a nationwide, grassroots demonstration aimed at bringing the environment into the political mainstream. Still others credit Fred Dutton, Special Assistant to President John F. Kennedy.

Regardless of who holds the bragging rights for this brilliant idea, the fact that Earth Day has expanded in size and scope is unquestionable. Whether Earth Day was started for peace, politics or both, and whether it is celebrated in March or April, all can agree that in the 36 years since it began, it has evolved into an international celebration of nature. According to the Earth Day Network, Earth Day is celebrated by more than half a billion people each year in more than 170 countries.

So whether you decide to mark this venerated anniversary by cleaning a coral reef in Honduras, helping kids start their own butterfly garden in Singapore, or planting native trees in your own backyard, observance of Earth Day is a great way to recommit to the protection and restoration of our planet. It’s also a terrific opportunity to reconnect to the places in which we live, work and play.