About Earth Month
Mission
To foster environmental education, action and understanding of issues affecting the health and well-being of our world and promote the need to protect, preserve and conserve it. Educational activities and events will be planned or promoted to support this mission. In addition, environmental stewardship will be encouraged by promoting the care of the earth and the identification and adoption of needed clean up projects.
Getting Involved with Earth Month
If you are interested in being a part of Earth Month, consider joining the planning committee, or hosting a clean-up project or educational activity in April. The planning committee needs help with fundraising, publicity, educational programs, youth outreach activities, and more. Members meet once or twice a month, or keep in contact through email, from now until through April. Clean-up or educational activities will be posted on the web and on hand-outs to encourage public participation.
For more information, contact Gail Everett at 942-7730 or geverett@ci.richland.wa.us.
History
2007 ● 2006 ● 2005 ● 2004 ● 2003 ● 2002 ● 1996 ● 1991-95 ● 1970
2007 Mid-Columbia Earth Month
156 Total Projects Completed in April
● 107 in Richland (71 storm drains stenciled)
● 20 in Kennewick
● 9 in Connell
● 8 in Benton City
● 1 in Benton County
● 2 in West Richland
● 2 in Finley
● 1 in Kahlotus
● 5 in Pasco
● 1 in Prosser
121 Yards cleaned up by Tri-Cites ShareFest (not counted above)
66 Teams Registered
60 Earth Related Activities were held
1,750 Volunteers
540 Pairs of shoes collected – Reuse-A-Shoe
421 Cell phones collected
Winner of the 2007 Recycler of the Year award for Outstanding Public Education By the Washington State Recycling Association!
Watch the 2007 Earth Month Kick-off PSA
2006 Mid-Columbia Earth Month
202 Total Projects Complete
175 Yard Projects were adopted and cleaned
● 53 in Kennewick
● 76 in Richland
● 24 in Pasco
● 2 in Connell
● 9 in Benton City
● 6 in Finley
● 5 in West Richland
27 Community Projects were completed
56 Teams Registered
80 Earth Related Activities were held during Earth Month
4,895 Volunteers
2005 Mid-Columbia Earth Month
123 Total Projects Complete
84 Yard Projects were adopted and cleaned
38 Community Projects were completed
44 Teams Registered
51 Earth Related Activities were held during Earth Month
372 Cell phones collected
Almost 4,500 Volunteers!
In 2004 Earth Day continued to grow with 126 Projects being completed (106 Yards and 20 Community Projects,) 33 Teams, 1000+ Volunteers, and 60 Earthy activities. Here are the highlights:
In Kennewick, 34 yards were cleaned up and the roadways along Canal Drive and Highway 82. Vacant lots on Olympia Street and Clearwater Avenue were adopted and a Zintel Canyon work party was held. The grounds of the Benton Franklin Development Center were spruced up, and members of the Atomic Dive Club conducted their annual Columbia River Clean-up Dive. In Pasco, 16 yards were adopted, the playground at Emerson Elementary School was cleaned up and tree plantings were held in Mercer Park. The land off Road 68 was plucked clean of litter, and years of debris and illegal dumping were removed. In Richland, 38 yards were adopted, as was the ARC of the Tri-Cities, Columbia Point, Chamna Preserve and the Yakima Delta. In West Richland, 3 yards were adopted, as were projects at Flat Top Park and Melinda Drive Park. In Burbank, 1 yard was adopted and Highway 12 was cleaned. In Benton City, 1 yard was adopted and members of the Desert Soaring Club recommended and adopted their own playground, McBee Grade.
Additional Highlights: The first team to register was the Tri-City Herald who recommended and adopted the grounds of the Benton Franklin Developmental Center. Members of the local Stakes of the Church of Latter Day Saints completed the largest projects. Columbia Point in Richland and Zintel Canyon in Kennewick were spruced up by the efforts of hundreds of church members and friends. Fluor Hanford Community Involvement Team had the most clean-up projects, with seven different projects completed by employees, family members and friends. The youngest team was a group of boys who recommended and completed several projects at neighboring Melinda Park in West Richland. And Ellen Ochoa Middle School won the Recycling Tennis Shoe Contest, sponsored by WSU-TC.
In 2003 – “Mid-Columbia Earth Day – Help Transform your World!” (Full Report) Although this year’s clean up day was held on Easter weekend, the number of volunteers nearly doubled! The number of total clean-up projects completed was 112, including 93 Yard assistance projects and 19 Community Projects. 34 Teams registered and completed projects with over 900 volunteers participating. Also, throughout the month, 76 Earth Related Activities were held.
In 2002 another change occurred. (Full Report) Organizers felt the event was becoming too commercialized and wasteful. It was time to end the day long event. But instead of ending, Earth Day was recycled. The focus returned to beautification and community volunteerism. By teaming up with the Benton Franklin Volunteer Center and the Catholic Family and Child Services-Volunteer Chore Service, teams and individuals could step out into their community and help to beautify it. From litter and clean up projects, to restoration and trailing building and maintenance. Families, groups, organizations and teams community beautification projects and volunteerism. The goals are to instill community pride and respect for our home and for taking care of our neighbors. A large part of this newly, redeveloped Earth Day is adopting a senior citizen or person with disability and providing spring yard clean up. In addition, events and activities have been directed to libraries, classrooms and other groups that normally have a spring, environmental event. More partners means more of our community working together. 83 Total Projects, 67 Yard Projects, 16 Community Projects, 31 Teams Register, 64 Earth Activities, 414 Volunteers.
In 1996, with the development of the City of Richland's new Environmental Education Program, efforts to revive the Earth Day Celebration began. A group of past participants, various environmental organizations and community members, the newly revamped "Tri-Cities Earth Day Celebration" emerged. The event was held in Howard Amon Park, near the river shore of the mighty Columbia River. The morning would start out with community beautification projects, bike rides and hikes. By late morning, nearly 100 exhibit booths filled the park, as did river activities, collection events, In 2000, the event attracted about 8,000 participants.2001 again brought change. With the highly demanding job of coordinating the event, efforts to find a new organizer were sought. Lourdes Health Network and Clear Channel Communications stepped up to combine with their Teddy Bear Picnic and co-organize the Teddy Bear Earth Day. It encompassed both the health of our bodies and our planet.
1991-1995 - Earth Day begins in the Tri-Cities. Although several grassroots efforts were held, the first official event on record was in 1991 at the Columbia Basin College campus in conjunction with a household hazardous waste collection. The event was coordinator by Westinghouse Hanford employee Annette Stephan Carlson and funded by the Department of Energy-RL. In 1992, the event moved to the Columbia Center Mall because it was more centrally located and not dependent on the weather. DOE-RL and the Hanford Contractors, Waste Management of Kennewick, Columbia Center Mall and OK 95 were the sponsors. There was also an aluminum can recycling contest between area schools. The mall event brought performers from Disney Channel’s Kids, Inc. and in 1993, a theater group put on a "green" production about the environment. DOE again provided funding until budget cuts in 1995.
Beginnings: On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans gathered on campuses, in small towns, at city parks and at the foot of the Washington Monument to demand more be done to protect the earth's resources. That year, Congress enacted 28 environmental laws. Thus, Earth Day was born and has been celebrated every day since.