Celebrate The Planet: Earth Day All About Saving Natural Resources

Wednesday, April 22, 2015 is Earth Day! According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency,  “On the first Earth Day in 1970, 22 million Americans celebrated clean air, land, and water.”

While Earth Day celebrations may seem like a good time for communities to come together and enjoy the great outdoors, the true spirit of Earth Day rests in advocating for the beauty and protection of planet Earth.  Earth Day is not confined to simply commemoration through festivals.  Individuals are encouraged to make a positive change, which can be as simple as installing solar panels on your roof.  Information from www.earthday.org stated, “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.”

This year, a variety of local Earth Day celebrations will be taking place throughout Southside, Virginia.  If you’re interested in attending, check out the scheduled events below:

Rain on your Roof: Rain Barrels and Water Conservation Tips

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Farmville-Prince Edward Community Library

1303 W 3rd St., Farmville, VA

-Presented by Clean Virginia Waterways of Longwood University, this presentation is free and open to the public.  Rain barrels will be available to purchase for $50 each.  For more info, call 434-395-2602.

FloraFest

Saturday, April 25, 2015

9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Charlotte County Extension Office

133 LeGrande Ave., Charlotte Court House, VA

Rain or Shine

– Sponsored by the Charlotte County Master Gardeners, a variety of plants will be available to purchase.  In addition, guest speakers and vendors will be present, and refreshments will be for sale.  For more info, please contact the Extension Office at 434-542-5884.

Halifax 6th Annual Earth Day Extravaganza 

Saturday, April 25, 2015

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Halifax Farmer’s Market

209 S. Main St., Halifax, VA

– Event will feature electronic recycling, star gazing and pretend campground. A wealth of information will be provided about light pollution, dark skies, planting trees, recycling, composting, gardening, vegetable printing/stamping and much more!

Charlotte County Earth Day Festival

Saturday, May 9, 2015

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Central Middle School

250 Statesmen Dr., Charlotte Court House, VA

– Sponsored by the Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce, this event will feature children’s activities, arts/crafts/exhibits, food, music, a cruise-in and more!  For more info, please contact the Chamber of Commerce at 434-542-4546.