Environmental awareness day
Earth Day celebrations
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. The event was first launched as an environmental awareness teach-in event in the United States on April 22, 1970--20 million people participated. Since then, Earth Day events have spread around the world, and Powell River now joins more than one billion people taking part in actions that inspire awareness and appreciation of our environment. Pebble in the Pond Environmental Society is organizing this year's event in Powell River that will include a documentary movie screening on Thursday, April 22 (Earth Day) as well as a full day of celebration events at Willingdon Beach on Saturday, April 24.
Documentary screening April 22
Pebble in the Pond is coordinating multiple simultaneous screenings of local filmmaker Tony Papa's documentary film Suzuki Speaks at 7 pm Thursday, April 22 at various locations from Kelly Creek to Lund, including Texada Island. School District 47's Sustainable Schools Committee is organizing screenings during the day at each school in the district. Dr. Seuss' The Lorax will be shown in elementary schools.
If you have an idea for a venue and would like to host a screening, please contact Pebble in the Pond. Up-to-date venue information will be available online through the Powell River Direct Community Calendar www.powellriverdirect.com/calendar and on the Pebble in the Pond website www.pebpond.com and Facebook page.
Earth Day Celebrations at Willingdon Beach
Events will kick off at 10 am Saturday, April 24 with the annual Back Road Trash Bash Community Cleanup organized by Sustainable Schools Committee and Pebble in the Pond and supported by the Powell River Regional District. In previous years, these events have helped remove more than ten tonnes of trash from our back roads, trails and byways. "The trash bash is a community-wide celebration aimed at recovering and uncovering our trails and paths from improperly discarded trash," said Graham Cocksedge, a teacher at Kelly Creek School. "It is also an educational experience for the youth of Powell River with respect to the treatment of their extended backyards." Organizations and companies are encouraged to sponsor teams.
At 12:30 pm, the Earth Day Celebration at Willingdon Beach Park will be officially opened with plenty of music, poetry, food, and family activities. Events will include the planting of the Peace Tree at Willingdon Beach, eco-workshops, storytelling, poetry readings, food, music, and dance. Check out Powell River Direct Community Calendar or the Pebble in the Pond website for full schedules.
Anyone who would like to register for the Trash Bash Community Cleanup, have a booth at Earth Day or wants more information about events, can call 604 483-8987 or email info@pebpond.com.
