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DEC Region 9 Celebrates Earth Day

Every day is Earth Day at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. With 18 different divisions and nine regional offices, DEC is in the streams, the streets, the woods and the halls of government working to enhance the health and safety of New Yorkers as well as the state's environment and natural resources.

Officially, Earth Day is April 22, a day to celebrate our planet and take part in activities beneficial to the environment. But Earth Day-related events will be ongoing through the month and throughout New York State. To mark Earth Day 2008, DEC in Region 9 will celebrate by:

	Hosting an Earth Day cleanup at Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve on Saturday, April 19, 2008 at 9:00 a.m.;
	Hosting an Earth Day celebration at Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve Environmental Education Center on Saturday April 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that will include a scavenger hunt, live animals, hands-on nature exhibits, earth-friendly door prizes, kids activities, educational displays, and earth-friendly lunch fare;
	Participating in environmental awareness outreach events at: SUNY Fredonia, April 21, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Buffalo State University, April 22, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Beaver Meadow Nature Preserve 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; and
	Participating in a carpooling/alternative transportation initiative.

For more information about any of these events, please visit Region 9's online calendar at www.dec.ny.gov/public/41287.html .

Earth Day History

U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson is credited with the founding of Earth Day. After years of unsuccessful attempts to persuade the federal government to add environmental concerns to its agenda, Senator Nelson announced at a conference that there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration in the spring of 1970 on behalf of the environment, and he invited everyone to participate. His call met a tremendous response.

Twenty million demonstrators and thousands of schools and local communities across the country participated. Environmental awareness and activism has grown in the 38 years since that first Earth Day, spawning businesses and government agencies. Children now routinely learn about the environment in school, and colleges and universities confer degrees in environmental sciences.

Anyone can make a difference and improve the environment through actions as simple as recycling, carpooling, planting a tree, learning about the environment at a local earth day event, or joining a clean up effort. Region 9 DEC wishes you a very happy Earth Day, and encourages you to participate in the numerous an earth-friendly activities happening in communities throughout Western New York this month.

-DEC-