Earth Day is right around the corner—this Friday marks the 46th annual Earth Day. Earth Day has become a world-wide event, but started right here in Wisconsin. It was founded by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. Despite some of the latest attacks on Wisconsin's environmental legacy, communities across Wisconsin continue to lead with events that showcase the importance of protecting some of our most pristine natural places. Sierra Club Groups and members across Wisconsin are participating, supporting, and leading this events.
Here are some great events across Wisconsin:
Eau Claire: Earth Day? Try Earth Week!
The Chippewa Valley Group is hosting and supporting Earth Day events all week.
MONDAY, APRIL 18 at 7:00 PM Science, Faith, and Making Every Day Earth Day
LOCATION: Ecumenical Religious Center, 110 Garfield Avenue, next to UW-Eau Claire
The Newman Parish, University Lutheran, and the UWEC Student Office on Sustainability are sponsoring a panel discussion about “What does my faith have to do with climate change?” Panelists will include Dr. James Boulter, Dr. Charlene Burns and Ms. Eleanor Wolf. Dr. Boulter is the director of the Watershed Institute for Collaborative Environmental Studies at UW-Eau Claire. Dr. Burns is the Chair of the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department at UW-Eau Claire and established the Chippewa Valley Dialog on Science and Religion. Eleanor Wolf is a longtime community activist and member of the Sierra Club, Lower Chippewa River Alliance and the League of Conservation Voters. Interest in care for creation runs deep in many faiths. With the Pope’s recent encyclical on the environment, public interest has surged. Earth Day, established in 1970 and now often celebrated asEarth Week, shows the public’s interest in environmentalism.
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Learn more here.
TUESDAY, APRIL 19 at 6:00 PM: Gaylord Nelson Earth Green Dinner
LOCATION: First Congregational United Church of Christ (310 Broadway St, Eau Claire, WI)
Hosted by the Sierra Club Chippewa Valley Group, the Earth Green Award this year will go to Steve, Ellen, and Hanna Terwilliger for their work on bringing the Solar Power Wisconsin conference to Eau Claire, and their leadership with Transition Chippewa Valley’s Affordable Solar group. Tickets are $25, $15 for students, as a fundraiser for the Sierra Club Chippewa Valley Group. Contact Eleanor Wolf by April 15 to reserve a spot: ellewolf1@hotmail.com
Other events throughout the week include a presentation on the upcoming Confluence Project, the Sustainable Eau Claire 2016 Award Ceremony, a neighborhood clean-up, and Jam It for the Planet, and much, much more. Contact Jeremy Gragert for more information.
La Crosse: Keeping the Earth Clean with a Highway Clean-Up!
The Coulee Region Group will be celebrating the Earth in La Crosse by keeping the Earth clean on RIver Valley Drive. The Coulee Group has adopted River Valley Drive in the La Crosse River marsh. This highway cleanup will be held in conjunction with the La Crosse River Marsh cleanup on Saturday, April 23, as part of the Earth Day celebration. Meet at 10 a.m. at the city water well building near the intersection of County Highway B and River Valley Drive on the north side of La Crosse. Wear old clothes and bring work gloves. Orange vests and garbage bags are provided. We’ll work for an hour to 90 minutes. After the cleanup, we’ll head for Myrick Park for the free lunch for cleanup volunteers. For more information contact Pat or Bobbie Wilson, (608) 788 8831 or pbwilson@centurytel.net. The Coulee Region Group will also participate in the La Crosse Earth Fair.
Madison: Nelson Institute Earth Day
On April 25, the Nelson Institute will host its 10th Annual Earth Day Conference with featured speakers and discussions that include human-nature interactions, dirvisty and the environment, 'ecomodernism', the balance between human affairs and the planet's limit, and much more. Learn more here.
Milwaukee: Celebrating Our Urban Wilderness--with service projects
Time: 9am – 1pm
Location: Urban Ecology Center – Washington Park, 1859 N. 40th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53208 (Enter on the east side of the park on N. 40th St. – just south of Lisbon Avenue)
Towering western mountains roofed by perennial snow. Deep-cut canyons carved of ancient sediment. Those images of grandeur are magnetic. But epic landscapes are not how most people experience the outdoors. Rather, the wonders of nature are witnessed everyday right outside one’s window, or just down the street. From pocket park oases to the swaying, stream-side willows of a county greenspace, neighborhood nature is vitally important to neighborhood people (i.e. all of us!).
For this year’s annual Earth Day festivities, the Great Waters Group of the Sierra Club is partnering with the Urban Ecology Center to celebrate our urban wilderness. These urban greenspaces are vital to our lives, providing peace, safety, food, fun, exercise, and community, as well as vital to maintaining native flora and fauna among us. These special places deserve recognition and celebration.
On April 23, the Washington Park branch of the Urban Ecology Center will be hosting work crews for a variety of service projects in the park, such as planting trees and shrubs and weeding. Meanwhile, inside the UEC building, organizations from around southeast WI will be showcasing their work and leading educational demonstrations. Also on display will be entrants to our urban wilderness expression contest (please see contest article for more details). At 12 pm, all of the service work will be complete and guests will be treated to a hard-earned lunch and a short program in celebration of our urban wilderness. During the program, winning entrants for the contest will be announced and their work performed. Venice Williams, the director of Alice's Garden Urban Farm, will close our Earth Day with wise and inspiring words.
9am – Service projects begin
10am-1pm – Exhibitions and demonstrations by area organizations
12pm – Free lunch is served
12:15pm – Urban Wilderness program: Young Scientists dancers, Urban Wilderness displays, Keynote Speaker: Venice Williams of Alice's Garden
Racine: Invasive Species Removal
Volunteers are invited to assist the Southeast Gateway Sierra Club pull invasive garlic mustard and plant swamp white oak trees from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 25, at Colonial Park, 2300 W. High St., Racine. Garlic mustard, which appears quickly after the snow melts, grows rapidly and produces numerous flowers and seeds. This enables the plant to quickly overtake and crowd out native wildflowers, changing the forest ecosystem.
The plants are most easily pulled when the soil is moist, so volunteers can work in light drizzle. Dress for the weather with long trousers, sturdy shoes and full-length socks. Volunteers are also needed to plant 100 swamp white oak two-year-old saplings. Due to their small size, the saplings are relatively easy to plant. Participants should meet at the head of the Root River Pathway in Colonial Park at the west end of West High St.
Help the Sierra Club continue to make every day Earth day online:
To promote Earth Day, Every Day, @HomeSavingsBank will donate $365 to a local nonprofit focused on sustainability. Visit facebook.com/homesavingsbank to vote for the Sierra Club-John Muir Chapter, or click here.
Earth Day is every day for the Sierra Club! Some Earth Day events have already taken place:
Appleton: Fox River Earth Day Hike
The Fox Valley Group kicked off Earth Day week on April 16 by participating in a fun event for the community. Activities began and ended at the Fox River Environmental Education Alliance (FREEA) (formerly Monte Alverno Retreat Center).
The hike was along the Fox River right from FREEA and going to Peabody Park. There were refreshments and activities there. Some turned back and enjoyed a short hike, while some continued on for the full 5.15 mile adventure, continuting across College Avenue, the bridge and hike along the southern shore on the Newberry Trail and to Olde Oneida Street. Then the hike crossed back to the northern shore utilizing trails on the Eagle Flats. The route allowed for plenty of time to enjoy the route and discover what's on the way, or even have an early lunch. This hike was designed to be enjoyed in small groups, or on your own. The trail is marked and our map is easy to follow. Check out the map or learn more here.
Racine: Protest Enbridge's Tar Sands Pipelines
The Southeast Gateway Group joined the Racine Coalition for Peace and Justice in a protest of Enbridge's plans to continue to expand dirty tar sands oil through Wisconsin. The groups joined together to take a STAND AGAINST the Enbridge pipeline on SATURDAY, APRIL 16TH at 10:00 A.M. on the corner of Green Bay Road and Washington Avenue.