54th Earth Day Celebration

Earth Day, April 22 each year, commemorates the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement. In 1970, Wisconsin’s own Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day as a way to force environmental issues onto the national agenda. Earth Day inspired 20 million Americans – 10% of the total population of the United States at the time – to take to the streets to demonstrate against the impacts of 150 years of industrial development, which had left a legacy of serious human health impacts. This first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency – a new federal agency formed to tackle environmental issues.

Today, Earth Day is widely recognized as the largest observance in the world. More than a billion people join together every year on Earth Day to take action and to make a positive impact in the world.

Focus on the local environment and your small, everyday acts will add up:

• Plant trees. Forests pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it.
• Plant native flowers. Deep-rooted native plants are not only beautiful but also trap and filter polluted runoff from roadsides and rooftops.
• Take care of your neighborhood. Pick up trash and remove invasive plants along the road near your house. We can keep the roadsides beautiful if we all do a little.
• Avoid buying products in plastic. Carry your own water bottle and recycle any plastic packaging and bottles you purchase.
• Buy locally sourced food.
• Conserve natural areas. Join local organizations, such as the FNPCW and permanently protect fragile ecosystems and wildlife habitat.