Earth Day on Sanibel: Gone but not forgotten

Of national events that tie into the core mission of Sanibel Island, probably nothing comes closer than Earth Day.

Last Saturday,  J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge  celebrated the 44th anniversary of Earth Day in partnership with “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society – Friends of the Refuge (DDWS) and Tarpon Bay Explorers. The first 200 visitors received a free up cycled tee shirt bag, courtesy of DDWS. Throughout the day, visitors met and greeted refuge educator Bagzilla, so named because Bagzilla was costumed in a year’s worth of an average person’s disposable bag consumption. There were free bike rentals and Wildlife Drive admission for bikers and hikers to encourage visitors to get outdoors and get active.

Events included ongoing earth crafts in the Education Center Classroom, a guided hike along Indigo Trail with a naturalist,  narrated refuge tram tours, reading in the Refuge with stories about Sea Turtles and Manatee and some useful information on how to turn trash into masterpieces of art.

There was a lot more going on, of course, but the question might be asked why are we focused on an event that has taken place, and one that is celebrated around the world?

Well, it's always nice to revisit pleasant times in beautiful places, but looking at the fundamental reasons for establishing an Earth Day, we have to conclude that there is a special bond between our little tropical island and the mission of Earth Day.

And the bond needs to be remembered. 

The first Earth Day family had participants and celebrants in two thousand colleges and universities, roughly ten thousand primary and secondary schools, and hundreds of communities across the United States. More importantly, it "brought 20 million Americans out into the spring sunshine for peaceful demonstrations in favor of environmental reform."It now is observed in 192 countries, and coordinated by the nonprofit Earth Day Network chaired by the first Earth Day 1970 organizer Denis Hayes, according to whom Earth Day is now "the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more than a billion people every year." Environmental groups have sought to make Earth Day into a day of action which changes human behavior and provokes policy changes.

And while Sanibel is one tiny spot on Earth that has followed in this tradition, it could be considered one of the best.

We on Sanibel love and enjoy our outdoor living, whether it be on the beach, in the Preserve or just on our common streets.  We cherish the earth and protect our island from dangers in a way few communities have or are able to do.

For an island our size, we have a large variety of well established groups that educate the public about the four legged, winged and water creatures that share their home with us.

And , above all else, we recognize that we are the late comers to the Island.  The natural residents were here first, and it is those "natives" we feel have a territorial imperative , not us.