By Pauline Benetti
The Southwest Organization for Sustainability (SOS) Earth Day Planning Team is hard at work organizing this year’s Earth Day Celebration which is planned for Sunday, April 21 in its traditional location in Centennial Park along the River Walk and at the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership Site. Invitation are out to individuals, schools, organizations, businesses, etc. to come forth with the event or activity that they would like to sponsor and participate in making the 2024 Earth Day Celebration the best yet.
And everyone in the community is invited to come down to the river and have a good time, with more details below on what to expect.
In addition to celebrating, we all need to take time out for a moment of reflection on our own efforts to live lives that are healthy for the Planet. It is “We the people” who must stand up in the face of the monumental task of insuring that our planet remains a healthy home for all of us now and forever.
A brief historical review will show how effective “We the people” have been. April 22, 2024 will be the 54th celebration of Earth Day from its beginning in 1970 with a demonstration by twenty million Americans that in the ensuing few years 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. Check www.earthday.org for more details.
The events of this day begin at 9am with a time of mindfulness enhanced with the experience of a sound bath. The Opening Ceremony will be held at 10am at which time community booths offering information, products, raffles, a clothing swap, etc. will be inviting visitors to stop by and the Wetland Tour will begin gathering folks.
The GGP Amphitheater will also invite folks to hear talks on a variety of topics including growing local, domes for seniors, composting services, migratory birds, plastics, recycling; and the featured presentation Wolfwood Refuge. All are invited to the Community Tea Ceremony and a Community Pot Luck; kids will be busy with solar car racing and a sidewalk chalk art contest and every Mother’s Child is encouraged to dress up in a costume inspired by our Planet Earth and stop by the SOS booth to have a photo taken.
As if that is not enough… the day will conclude with music by Xavier. Stay tuned for more specifics as the date approaches.
Need more information? Email sospagosa@hotmail.com or call 970-264-5232.