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“Nothing living should ever be treated with contempt. Whatever it is that lives, a man, a tree, or a bird, should be touched gently, because the time is short. Civilization is another word for respect for life.” Elizabeth Goudge (1900-1984)

On April 22, we will celebrate Earth Day.

This is a very exciting day because it makes people aware of how important our Earth is. Let’s take a look back and see why Earth Day became a nationally recognized day.

Throughout history many poets, writers, painters and musicians have recognized the wonders of nature in their art. The famous poet Walt Whitman paid tribute to the wonders of nature in many of his poems. In one he quotes, “Nature, The loving day, the mounting sun, the friend I am happy with…The hill-side whiten’d with blossoms of the mountain ash, The same, late in autumn-the hues of red, yellow, drab, purple, and light and dark green…” From this description you can see how beautiful the earth looked in his eyes, as it does to many people in the world. Because of this love for the earth and the nature that surrounds us, Earth Day became a quick success.

The first Earth Day was proposed by Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1969. At this time, no attention was given to the deteriorating condition of the environment, because people were focused on the Vietnam War that was occurring. People who didn’t agree with the war held gatherings at schools across the nation to protest the war. Nelson decided that he would also hold a gathering called a “teach-in” to inform people about the environment. He announced that there would be a national environmental “teach-in” in 1970, and people loved the idea. From that day, 28 years ago, grew a national event that is celebrated every April 22. It gave people the power to tell politicians to do something and it gave mother nature a chance to restore herself. This issue of the Tribune is dedicated to the environment, and what we can all do to make it a cleaner, healthier, and more beautiful place to live. Enjoy!