As the trees finally started to blossom, and the bitter chill slowly defrosted into a spring breeze, students were reminded of the joy of Spring. Alongside this spike in temperatures and parade of cars with windows down on Mequon Road, came April’s claim to fame: Earth Day. Tuesday, April 22, students celebrated Earth Day, the national holiday that calls for attention to Mother Earth and more time amongst the trees.
In the classroom, science teacher Dawn Pfaff had an array of activities for her students to celebrate with.
“Each year I have my students plant seeds on Earth Day. They can choose from a variety of flowers or vegetables. They then care for the plants through the rest of the trimester and can take them home after finals. We watch the Lorax and create a one pager that demonstrates sustainable resource use and connections between the environment and economy,” Pfaff said.
Her activities reflect her hopes for others to appreciate the holiday like she does. “Earth day is an opportunity to reflect on our resource use, the importance of nature and living things in our lives and our connection to the earth,” Pfaff said.
Like Pfaff, students took their own initiative to celebrate Earth Day.
Ellie Prellwitz, Senior, spent her Earth Day in the outdoors.
“This past Tuesday I went on a hike and picked up any trash I found outside,” Prellwitz said.
To Prellwitz, Earth Day is a call for environmental advocacy. “It’s so incredibly important to recognize our own individual impacts on the environment! Do your research and always try to improve your actions. We only have one Earth, and we abuse it too much. We should all being working towards a greener future and see the reality of our actions in the world,” Prellwitz said.
Prellwitz isn’t the only student involved in environmental awareness.
Sofia Espinosa, Senior, is an advocate for the outdoors.
“Earth Day is important to bring awareness to the global Climate Change crisis. It is so important that our society is educated so that we can make a positive impact on our planet. However, many people only care about the planet on Earth Day, so there’s little being done to contribute to fighting Climate Change,” Espinosa said.
For her, meaningful contributions are important. “Many people post online about how much they love the planet on Earth Day, but they’re doing little to save it; so, I think many people are celebrating for the wrong reasons. If people do have the time for Earth Day, they should do something that is meaningful to them, like helping the planet in a way that drives their passions. For me, that is gardening and planting trees, so I like to plant trees and remove invasive species. However, it really is more than just today; it’s about what you do to help the Earth throughout your life,” Espinosa said.