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Newsletter

April, 2010

April is full of celebrations of nature and its various gifts

Earth Day

One of the most well-known of these celebrations is, of course, Earth Day. Observed annually on April 22, Earth Day is a celebration of the natural aspects of the earth, as well as a call to renew and strengthen earth-friendly practices, both at the governmental and the individual level. How much do you know about the origin of this now widely-observed day?

· The first Earth Day was in 1970.

· It was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. After accomplishing significant gains in the environmental arena as governor of Wisconsin, he took his ideas to the national stage in 1962 with his election to the U.S. Senate. Throughout the 1960s, though, he struggled to get his environmental concerns taken seriously in Washington, where pollution was considered to be synonymous with economic growth. Senator Nelson rejected the idea that economic prosperity and environmental protection were anathema; indeed, he felt that the fights against poverty and pollution were one and the same. Gaining little traction in Washington, he decided to take his ideas directly to the people. Building on the successes of the university-led sit-ins and teach-ins that had previously focused on race relations and the Vietnam war, Senator Nelson proposed a nationwide teach-in day to focus on environmental issues. His strategy worked: Earth Day became an immediate success, and the Washington establishment suddenly had to focus on environmental protections as never before.

· Early Earth Day observances led to, among other things, the establishment of the Environmental Protection Act (1970), the Clean Water Act (1972), and the Endangered Species Act (1973), as well as put enforcement teeth into the Clean Air Act (1970), an Act which previously had contained only measuring and monitoring provisions.

· April 22 was chosen for a myriad of reasons, not least of which was its position in the academic calendar. It did not interfere with mid-term exams or spring/Easter breaks; in 1970, it fell on a Wednesday, and therefore would not interfere with weekend activities; most students would have been on campus at that time; and in most of the country, the weather would have warmed up enough to allow for outdoor activities, a not insignificant consideration for an event focusing on the environment. That April 22 is close to the Spring Equinox certainly did not hurt, either, though there is some debate as to whether that fact actually played a role in the determination of the date for the teach-in.

· An estimated 20 million people across the country participated in the first Earth Day.

· In 1995, the 25^th anniversary of Earth Day, Gaylord Nelson was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor available to civilians, for his work on environmental issues.

· By 2000, Earth Day had a global reach of hundreds of millions of people, with celebrations in 184 countries.

· This year, 2010, marks the 40^th anniversary of this now often week-long celebration.

Arbor Day

A less-widely known, but older April celebration is Arbor Day, a celebration of trees. The day of observance of Arbor Day is somewhat difficult to state categorically, as National Arbor Day and state Arbor Days often fall on different dates. National Arbor Day is the last Friday in April, this year falling on April 30. State Arbor Days vary tremendously, as many states set their celebration dates to coincide with the best tree planting weather in their region.

· While most states observe Arbor Day in March or April, the dates can vary widely: Louisiana and Florida, for example, both celebrate the day on the third Friday in January, Hawaii’s observance is the first Friday in November, and South Carolina’s is the first Friday in December!

· The first Arbor Day was April 10, 1872.

· Arbor Day was founded by Julius Sterling Morton, a Michigan native who had relocated to the treeless plains of Nebraska. He recognized the importance of trees for everyday life as building materials, fuel, and shade, but also their importance to agriculture as wind breaks to reduce soil erosion. As a member of Nebraska’s State Board of Agriculture, he proposed setting aside a day to plant trees, and had little trouble convincing his fellow Nebraskans to support the effort. The response was tremendous: schools and counties had competitions to see who could plant the most trees, awards were given, even a parade was held.

· An estimated one million trees were planted on that first Arbor Day.

· Arbor Day was made an official state holiday in Nebraska in 1885. April 22 was chosen as the day of observance to coincide with Morton’s birthday.

· National Arbor Day was first observed in 1970.

To find out when your state celebrates Arbor Day, or to discover your state tree, go to http://www.arborday.org/arborday/arbordaydates.cfm. And go plant a tree!

April’s Fun Facts

According to the Colorado Tree Coalition, a single mature tree can absorb up to 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year – as well as release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support two people. A tree that shades a house can reduce fossil fuel consumption by an amount equal to the carbon that fifteen forest trees could sequester!