Earth Day Celebration

By: Cathy Yeakel, BCCD District Manager​
What did you do on Earth Day?
Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, as an environmental awareness day to educate people about pollution and its effects on the environment. Founded by a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day became a global movement to protect our environment. Since 1970, celebrations have changed from awareness lectures to outdoor events offering education on our natural resource issues and demonstrations.

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​Earth Day in Bradford County was officially last celebrated in 1988, that is until it was re-established by the County as a yearly event in 2017. Since Earth Day is all about environmental awareness, we have focused on just that. It is our goal to provide a day where the public can get outside and learn about our environment, the animals that live in it, and the resources that are so important to preserve for generations to come.
Prior to this year, our last earth day event was in 2019. Unfortunately, we had to cancel the last few years because of the pandemic. We are so excited to get back into doing our educational events!  Attendees at this year’s earth day event had the chance to make tree cookie necklaces, plant flowers, make seed bombs, dig for fossils, and many other hands-on activities. In addition, the Cornell Raptor Program was showcasing their live birds of prey and dissecting owl pellets. CDE Exotics was on-site with a selection of reptiles, Claverack Rural Electric displayed their tesla, the US Coast Guard Auxiliary brought along a few boats and shared the importance of safety and inspecting your watercraft. Live music was heard throughout the event and was performed by Low Hanging Fruit, a band out of the Bloomsburg area.  Local organizations like the Bradford County Humane Society, Che Hanna Rock and Mineral Club, Dare2BTick Aware, PA Trappers Association, and more spent their Saturday with us to educate the public.
We were given beautiful weather and a good turnout, regardless of many other events going on that day. We appreciate all those who took the time to work with us this year and hope that those who were in attendance had a great time.
This yearly event is made possible by donations and sponsorships and because of this, is completely free to the public. We send a huge thank you to all of those who sponsored and donated to our raffle baskets this year!
Next year, our earth day event will be celebrated on April 22, 2023, from 10 AM to 2 PM on the conservation district property. We hope to see you all there! If you or your business are interested in donating or sponsoring, please let us know. For more information, please call Cathy Yeakel at 570-485-3122 or email cathy.yeakel@pa.nacdnet.net.
What a great time to start new traditions! Maybe plant a tree on earth day every year or do a stream cleanup to aid in cleaning the trash in our streams and in turn help the wildlife that utilize it. It comes down to us, what we do and don’t do is directly affecting our environment. We are the only ones who can change that! Why not start now?
The Bradford County Conservation District is committed to helping people manage resources wisely.  You can visit the Bradford County Conservation District at 200 Lake Rd in Wysox across from the Wysox Fire Hall. Contact us at (570) 485-3144 or visit our web page at www.bccdpa.com.