Safely Celebrate Earth Day with Parks and Recreation — Episode 064

Earth Day is a time when people all over the world promote the
importance of environmental awareness, and it serves as a
reminder that anyone can take small steps to protect the
environment. This year, on April 22, we will celebrate the 50th
anniversary of Earth Day.


Earth Day has been a critical event since its inception in 1970 –
in fact, in response to the very first Earth Day, landmark
environmental laws like The Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and
Endangered Species Act were created, as well as the creation of
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And while this is an
extremely important day, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of
the planned celebrations have had to go virtual.


On today’s episode, we’re joined by three dedicated and creative
staff members of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department in
Ohio to talk about the virtual Earth Day celebrations they have
planned so their community can learn more about the environment
around them and how to protect it. Joining us on the show from
Columbus Recreation and Parks Department are:


Betty Blockinger, Volunteer Manager

Colleen Sharkey, Program Coordinator

Rosalie Herndon, Environmental Planner



We talk about what Earth Day means to each of them, as well as
why it’s so important to celebrate. And, in light of the COVID-19
pandemic, their department is hosting a 10-day virtual Earth Day
celebration to help the people who live in Columbus explore all
the things that live and grow around their homes and in the
community’s parks through a fun, scavenger hunt-style activity —
while being mindful of physical distancing guidelines and state
and local ordinances.


Various things to search for will be posted on their department’s
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts from April 15-25, and
community members can win prizes by posting photos of the things
they find, tagging the department and using #VirtualEarthDayCbus.
People are encouraged to use iNaturalist, a mobile app that can
be used to observe and identify various species — everything from
the rarest of butterflies to a common weed.


The observations made through iNaturalist also support the
conservation community at large. All the observations are
verified by a community of experts and go through a process of
verification and ultimately end up as data for researchers and
environmentalists from around the globe to use. Here’s a video of
Colleen showing how easy it is to use!


The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department is also engaging
their community during this time through:


Sharing gardening tips and other activities on their outdoor
recreation program’s Instagram account

Get Active At Home: With fitness facilities closed, the
department’s health and wellness team is posting workouts on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to encourage residents to get off
the couch and get moving at home. From low-intensity workouts to
adaptive yoga to high-intensity interval training (HIIT), there
are a variety of workouts for all ages and fitness levels.

CAC Create at Home: While art classes at the Columbus
Cultural Arts Center (CAC) are currently canceled, local artists
are giving step-by-step instructions on creative arts projects
via Facebook Live every Tuesday and Thursday at noon on the CAC
Facebook page.



Thanks to Columbus Recreation and Parks Department and the
important work of Betty, Colleen and Rosalie, the people who live
in Columbus, Ohio, will be able to safely celebrate Earth Day —
and regardless of where you live, this episode may give you ideas
on how you can safely celebrate, as well!