Happy Earth Day!

The First Earth Day   On April 22, 1970, more than 20 million Americans gathered on college campuses and in city squares to celebrate the first Earth Day.

Some came to spread the word, others came to learn, but all were a part of the largest organized demonstration in American history.

From a small Washington, D.C. office, Environment Teach-In, Inc. organized the first Earth Day as a coordinated teach-in involving several schools across the U.S. Denis Hayes (pictured above) ran the small activist group co-founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson. The teach-in was designed to educate Americans about growing problems with environmental pollution and overpopulation.

Thie above was from a pbs essay on American Experience

I was just walking around town with my dog, Uma, and I wass talking to a neighbor who, like me, has moved away from the onventional green grass lawn. She has a 'hardscape" rock garden and is contemplating a meadow in her side yard. I hae a woodland front yard with many trees and evergreens and shrubs such as junipers and holly, no lawn.

Some time ago, I became aware of a movement called 'permaculture' which teaches about landscaping with the future of the planet in mind. For example, over the past several years, dyed licorice mulch became popular without anyone stopping to ask if it was healthy for the ground or the water beneath the ground. Also, I have (unlike my usual conflict averse self) gotten into sseveral debates with neighbors and relatives about their poisonous war against dandelions. They dump round-up pesticide on healthful plants like dandelions which feed so many wild creatures and could feed us (my old neighbors in Phila. used to make dandelion wine!) without thinking how the poison goes into our water supply. Please, please, don't kill the daisies!"

Keep it natural, plant native species and avoid invaders like the ever present and destructive English ivy, and educate yourself on what you can do in your own yard to help the bees which are in decline and which are neessary to our crops, as well as various bird species. Let Earth Day be the day you devote yourself to one small task, learning something or planting something. You may have seen in my previous post several locations where you can find a free tree to plant. So many neighbors cut down their trees becsuse they didn't want to deal with leaves! Maybe Amerians wouldn't be so fat and unhealthy if they got out their rakes and started raking leaves again!

Anyhow at the very least, do yourself a big favor and take a walk outside and visit the local trees, enjoy the yards and flowers, and the glorious Spring weather! It is good for your heart and soul and your body!

Jo Ann wrightj45@yahoo.com