Eglin ready to celebrate Earth Week

  • Published
  • By Mike Spaits
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  More than 600 Team Eglin volunteers and participants are expected to help celebrate Earth Week 2012, here next week. The events include kayak ecotours of Eglin's streams and habitats, a nature hike, a beach cleanup and a paddle board tour of Santa Rosa Island among other things.

"These events really show how much we can accomplish for our environment as a team," said Mike Gilliam, co-chair of Eglin's Earth Day committee. "Last year, we had over 300 participants and most of those people are repeats this year. From the response we've received so far, I expect we'll have more than 700 this year, and we've filled our volunteer list in all areas."

According to Maria Rodriguez, 96th CEG environmental management chief, Earth Day is a chance for everyone to help the world we live in.

"Since the very first celebration 42 years ago, Earth Day has always provided a wonderful opportunity for individuals or groups to show their concern for their environment and make a positive impact by getting personally involved," said Rodriguez.

Earth Week will culminate with a series of interactive and static displays at Eglin Elementary School to help educate approximately 500 children in areas including energy, native wildlife, non-venomous reptiles, stormwater and cultural management, entomology and recycling.

Earth Day is an international event demonstrating concern and mobilizing support for the environment. Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, and rallied more than 20 million Americans from around the country and on college campuses to get involved in environmental "teachings."

This event, which was the largest grassroots movement in U.S. history, created what has come to be known as the environmental movement. Out of this event came the first major pieces of environmental legislation--the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.

As a single event, Earth Day represents the commitment and significant investment this nation and other countries around the world have made toward positive environmental security. The active-duty military and civilian members of Team Eglin as well as family members and the local community will make a significant contribution to the overall impact of this monumental event.

"Earth Day is designed to expand environmental awareness while showing political leaders that the quality of our natural resources is a high priority. Here at Eglin, we have set up events that hopefully will not only be productive, but educational and entertaining as well," said Rodriguez.