In 1970, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson started a holiday and a grassroots campaign demanding cleaner air, water, land, and wildlife. Thirty-two years later, we still celebrate this holiday formally known as Earth Day on April 22.
Earth Day is celebrated to bring awareness to the Earth’s incredible and fragile natural environment. As we all know, the Earth does not have a reliable Wisconsin insurance policy protecting it, so once its resources are gone, life as we know it would cease to exist. That is why Earth Day is so important! The holiday is celebrated in 175 countries across the globe, but how can you celebrate right here in Wisconsin?
The Friends of Wisconsin State Parks (FWSP) has organized the fourth annual Work*Play*Earth Day!, an event that gives people the opportunity to help Wisconsin State Parks and Trails get ready for the summer season. Volunteers will help plant trees, rake campsites, repair picnic tables, clean up trails, and removing invasive species.
There are five different days for the Work*Play*Earth Day! events, one of which already passed (April 5), but four dates remain with one happening tomorrow. Each date lasts from approximately 9 am-3 pm with snacks and lunch donated by local businesses. Volunteers will also get the opportunity to join staff in hiking or biking park trails, visiting nature centers, or enjoying recreational opportunities after work is completed!
Registration is free but required. People can register through the park, forest, trail or recreation area where they would like to volunteer. More information, including the parks that are participating, can be found here.
Happy Earth Day!
-Sam