By Darlene Brace
We all Need to do Our Share to Protect our Earth that We Call Home.
Earth Day has been celebrated in our country since 1970, in the aftermath of an oil spill that happened on January 28, 1969. An oil well off the coast of California exploded and polluted the ocean. This disaster made headlines across the nation that promoted and encouraged people to fight for environmental causes across the country. The the idea of Earth Day was born and was first observed on April 22, 1970 in the United States. Earth Day events took place at thousands of sites throughout the USA, and April 22 has been designated as Earth Day since the first one in 1970.
Each year, Earth Day is celebrated in the Jamestown area in various Earth Day related activities. One event that just took place on April 16th was the Sip, Shop and Support Our Local Ecosystem. Downtown Art, Cloth and Craft in collaboration with Brazil/Labrinth coordinated this event and will donate 25% of their sales that day to the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy. The Chautauqua Watershed provides educational programming and advocates the care and protection of our waters and natural environment.
Another event will be Volunteer’s Day at the Jamestown Audubon Community Nature Center on Saturday, April 20th from 9am-1pm. Volunteers will join the Audubon staff to help clean up the grounds and a lunch will be provided. Dress for the weather and bring work gloves if you have them. Volunteers can register at auduboncnc.org or call 716-569-2345. Walk-ins are also welcome.
EarthFest 2024 will take place at Jamestown Community College and is organized by the JCC Earth Awareness Club. This annual event will be on Wednesday April 24th from 11am-2pm in the student union and outside on campus (weather permitting). There will be Earth friendly vendors, crafters, displays, and exhibits. A demonstration by animal expert, Jeff Musial, with the Nickel City Reptiles will be at 12pm. Before and after Jeff Musial, an acoustic guitarist named Jamie Haight will perform.
The Roger Tory Peterson Institute celebrates Earth Day with its Banff Mountain Film Festival, and it which will be at the Reg Lenna in Jamestown April 19th- 20th. There will be seventeen short films presented over the two days. The films range from educational to outdoor adventures and protection of our Earth. Your admission includes an All Access Weekend pass to the Roger Tory Peterson Institute.
Related to Earth Day, the Village of Falconer is having their annual Spring Cleanup Day on May 4, 2024, from 9am to 12pm. Volunteers should meet at the Falconer Fire Department at 9am. Garbage bags will be provided, but volunteers should bring their own brooms, rakes, and gloves. Large dumpsters will be near the DPW garage for to dispose large items.
The City of Jamestown Parks Department will be planting flowers in the downtown area in May. This spring, they will also be planting trees around town in connections with Arbor Day. Also, in collaboration with the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, the Parks Department will be planting 20-30 trees on Bowen St in Jamestown, near the home where Roger Tory Peterson once lived.
The village of Mayville will be having a week-long Earth Day clean up this year instead of having it just one day. This clean up week will be April 20-28. Three area businesses, Evergreen Outfitters, Handcrafted by the Heart and Mayberry are coordinating and promoting this effort. You can pick up supplies at any of these locations. People who volunteer can register for a drawing for door prizes. Afterwards, the businesses can dispose of the bags of garbage when you are done if you wish.
Participating in Earth Day activities can be a fun way to get involved. Earth Day reminds us that our actions today can have a huge impact on the health of our planet, now and in the future. Education, awareness, and action are important in enabling change. Here are some things you can do in your daily lives to help the Earth: Use reusable water containers and grocery bags, go paperless in accounts, leave your car and walk, bike, or carpool, participate in “clean up” events, use nontoxic natural cleaners, plant trees, flowers and vegetable gardens, restore habitats, conserve electricity and water, start a compost pile, raise money for environmental groups, do not litter, participate in school projects encouraging environmental awareness and protection of our Earth. There are many more ways you can help too.
The quality of life here on Earth is for all of us to act on. We need to work together and support this endeavor to ensure a cleaner and healthier life on this planet, for all the people everywhere that call Earth their home.