By Pauline Benetti
On Saturday, April 24, Pagosa Springs will celebrate Earth Day with an outside event from 11am to 2pm. The event will begin at Town Hall and take place along the River Walk Loop, and return to Town Hall via Hot Springs Blvd.
Because of the challenging times we’re experiencing, organizers are placing a premium on safety. The route will be one-way directional and celebrants will be asked to maintain safe social distance. Along the way Earth Day participants will have a chance to celebrate the many entities in our small community that in their own way support a sustainable way of life, learn about their efforts and join in if suitable. Children will find fun handouts and activities.
Organizers advise everyone to check the weather and dress appropriately. It is April!
The Earth Day participants are (so far): Southwest Organization for Sustainability; Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership; Southern Ute Indian Tribe; Pagosa Farmers Market Live & Online; Archuleta Food Coalition; Audubon Rockies; Weminuche Audubon; Pagosa Wetland Partners; Colorado Master Gardeners; Working for Racial Equality; Dobson Solar; Archuleta County Weed and Pest; Archuleta County Department of Human Services; Habitat for Humanity; Growing Spaces; Pagosa UU Fellowship; Aspen House/ Aspen Services; Community Connections; Wildfire Adapted Partnership; San Juan Forest Headwaters Forest Health Partnership; San Juan Forest Service; Rise Above Violence; Wolf Creek Wonders 4-H; San Juan Water Conservancy District; Ruby Sisson Library; Greens Gurl; Pagosa Little Free Library; Curtains Up Pagosa; Build Pagosa; Daughters of the American Revolution; 4CORE; and La Plata Electric Association (LPEA).
Tomorrow, April 22, will mark the 51st celebration of Earth Day, which began in 1970 with a demonstration by twenty million Americans and has resulted in the passing of seminal legislation. The Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts all came out of this effort, legislation which today is in danger of revocation.
In 1990, Earth Day went global with 200 million people in 141 countries participating. Today, more than 1 billion people from 192 countries participate and the need has never been greater especially in our own country, once the world leader in protecting the planet’s natural resources. For the international events of this year, visit www.earthday.org
This year’s campaign theme is Restore the Earth and will begin on April 20th with a global youth climate summit led by Earth Uprising, in collaboration with My Future My Voice, OneMillionOfUs and hundreds of youth climate activists.
A special thanks to our sponsors: Southwest Organization for Sustainability, La Plata Electric Association, Growing Spaces, Town of Pagosa Springs, Pagosa Springs Sun, Wilderness Journeys Pagosa, Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce, Pagosa Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Ace Hardware, and Pagosa Rafting Outfitters.
For adding a beautiful art image to on our poster, we thank Cheryl Crane.
A thank you in advance to all our attendees whom we know will (at a minimum) practice social distancing and possibly wear face coverings and will definitely take out what they bring in and in so doing enjoy a beautiful day in Pagosa Springs.