Earth Day was the brainchild of U.S. Senator and environmentalist Gaylord Nelson, following a 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. He came up with the idea of having college teach-ins to highlight the importance of clean air and water, with April 22 chosen as a convenient date between Spring Break and finals. The following year, organizers decided to name the date Earth Day, with the first event in 1970, which led to an astonishing 20 million people across the U.S. taking to the streets (around 10 percent of the country’s population at the time). Earth Day later became an international campaign in 1990, when environmental activists asked one of the original organizers to help create another event to spotlight the ecological challenges facing our planet.
The theme for Earth Day 2023 is Invest in Our Planet, continuing on the same theme from 2022. It’s a call to invest in a better future for the planet, focused on the effects of climate change on the planet which we all share, and the efforts that are being made to mitigate it.
Although social distancing guidelines required "virtual" remembrances for the last couple of years, the Aeronautical Center is bringing back an in-person Earth Day celebration this year. Because Earth Day (April 22nd) fell on a Saturday this year, it is being observed on May 2nd at the Center in the HQ Building Pavilion area.
There will be a lot of information and products on display to increase awareness about conserving our natural resources. There will be pollinator information and honey, gardening information, energy and water conservation information about solar power, and electric vehicles too. Entertainment will include music sponsored by MMAC’s Employee Engagement Committee and True Sky Credit Union. There will also be great food from the Blue Sky Café and food trucks.
Also, and the trees are back! A limited number of live trees will be available for attendees to take home and plant.
Come and join the festivities at the HQ Pavilion on May 2nd from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
