Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement.
On April 22,1970, more than 20 million Americans took to streets, parks and college campuses in massive coast-to-coast rallies to protest against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife realized they shared common values.
Fast forward 48 years and Earth Day is now a global event each year, with an estimated 1 billion people in 192 countries taking part in what is the largest civic-focused day of action in the world.
As you’d probably expect, we’ll have a full weekend of Earth Day activities to enjoy on Sanibel Island.
At the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on April 21st, families can enjoy a free, fun-filled day. Guests can grab a free bicycle rental and join a ranger on the Wildlife Drive/Indigo Trail loop to learn about the refuge’s wildlife and ecology. They can meet Bagzilla, a “bag monster” dressed in the average person’s annual plastic bag consumption, enjoy making earth-friendly upcycled crafts to take home, and then watch the award-winning film “STRAWS,” a 30-minute documentary about plastic straw pollution and the effort to curb single-use plastics for the protection of our oceans.
At the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) on April 22nd, they will feature solar ideas for a hurricane preparation box, along with a special presentation from guest speaker Anna Shork, co-founder of LuminAID, who will present a program at 1:30 and 3 p.m. in the Nature Center about her experience lighting the dark corners of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. (It is free, but reservations are suggested as seating is limited. To register, visit “SCCF Earth Day Presentation” online at www.eventbrite.com.)
Ding Darling is located at 1 Wildlife Drive and more information can be found on dingdarlingsociety.org or by calling 239-472-1100. SCCF is at 3333 Sanibel-Captiva Drive and more information can be found at www.sccf.org or by calling 239-472-2329.
