April 22nd is Earth day.
Consider this astounding piece of history :
“The idea came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the student anti-war movement, he realized that if he could infuse that energy with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution, it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda. Senator Nelson announced the idea for a “national teach-in on the environment” to the national media; persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican Congressman, to serve as his co-chair; and recruited Denis Hayes as national coordinator. Hayes built a national staff of 85 to promote events across the land.”
Unless I am working at a festival, I tend to participate in small ways around my house. This year I am planting a garden in a reclaimed bed in my front yard. It has been many years since I have dug in the dirt, and it feels good to be tending a small plot.
An Odd Selection
The seeds I’ve put in so far have come to me in various ways. In the back, I’ve sprinkled echinacea purpurea seeds that came from plants I grew many years ago. I hope at least a few are still viable. On the sides, I’ve placed paper ‘keys’. These were wedding favors from a friend’s ceremony last year. They are rough pressed paper impregnated with wildflower seeds. You plant them in the ground, keep them watered, and (hopefully) they grow! In the front, I have some seeds that came in a box of oatmeal. They are stuck between two sheets of thin cardboard. You soak them, plant them, and keep them watered. I think I have carrots and tomatoes, but that’s just a guess from the package, there wasn’t a label. So it will be a real treasure hunt to see if any of this sprouts or grows. I predict 3 echinacea flowers, one of my 4 rows of wildflowers, and carrots gone wild. We’ll see. Get out there and enjoy your Earth Day on April the 22nd and all year long!