Published: April 03, 2009 11:11 pm      

Community gears up for Earth Day

Youth education again central to area’s celebration

As this year’s Earth Day fast approaches, a number of organizations are busy preparing events to draw awareness to April 22’s key theme — protecting the environment.

The first event involves approximately 600 third-grade pupils from the county’s elementary schools. Sponsored by the Soil and Water Conservation District, the children will participate in activities April 17 at Logansport High School including a presentation entitled “Take Flight” which focuses on preserving nature, and a walk through the Berry Patch.

Dick Hettinger, CCSWD executive director, said volunteers dressed as animals — including a raccoon, cardinal and butterfly — will line the Berry Patch, an outdoor science laboratory, and talk to children about the importance of habitat.

“What students are required to do is look at things and identify some trees and plants and to write those down on a piece of paper,” Hettinger said. “This is all part of the learning process and it is done right there in the Berry Patch.”

Cass County’s Solid Waste District and the parks departments of Cass County and Logansport will also be helping with the presentations.

Hettinger will announce the winners of a year-long, inter-school contest between third-graders to collect plastic bags.

The school with the highest cumulative weight of bags will win this year’s prize — a bench made from recycled plastic bags.

“We do that part to show the importance of recycling,” Hettinger said.

As of March 23, Pioneer third-graders were leading the contest with 1,896.8 pounds collected. Caston was in second place with 1,332.1 pounds.

With 50 bags roughly equating to approximately one pound, Pioneer has collected roughly 94,000 bags.

Hettinger said he thinks the schools may surpass last year’s record overall collection of 6,908 pounds.

“I am optimistic that the total will be equal to, or a little bit above, what they got last year because students and parents have really gotten into this,” he said.

The school event is not the only conservation event being held in the next few weeks.

The Izaak Walton League’s annual Eel and Wabash riverbank cleanup is set for April 11 and CCSWD’s tire amnesty day is April 18 at the Cass County 4-H fairgrounds. Logan’s Landing is seeking volunteers to help clean up the downtown area April 25.

In Delphi, volunteers are needed for the Wabash & Erie Earth Day April 18. Plans are in the works to improve walking trails, cleaning flower beds, landscaping and litter removal.

Celebrated for the first time on April 22, 1970, by 20 million people in the United States, Earth Day is a global event. An estimated 500 million people across the world regularly participate.

The day was established in the United States to unite groups concerned about the environmental future of the planet

The Cass County Soil and Water Conservation District celebrated its first Earth Day in 1990 as participants planted trees and engaged in environmental activities.

In 1993 the celebration expanded to the Logansport High School gymnasium and the Berry Patch.

Kevin Smith can be contacted at (574) 732-5148 or via e-mail at kevin.smith@pharostribune.com