Dr. Karen Bell
Keep Liberty Beautiful
What is the definition of an anniversary? When I looked up the word “anniversary,” it was classified as a noun. One definition was that it is the annual recurrence of a date marking a notable event, like a wedding anniversary. Broadly, it is a date that follows such an event by a specified period measured in units other than years, like the six-month anniversary of an accident.
An anniversary is also used to celebrate a date of an event. Well, Keep Liberty Beautiful turned 40 on April 5, 2023, and we remembered, honored and celebrated the program’s accomplishments, volunteers and leadership.
KLB was so happy that many could come out and enjoy the day with us. We laughed, told stories, and talked about new plans we have coming up for the program. One event fast approaching is Earth Day, celebrated in Liberty County on April 21, 2023, at Bryant Commons, from 3– 6 p.m.
Did you know that April is the month we celebrate our Earth? April is a great time to explore what we can do to protect the Earth and look for ways to take care of it.
Earth Day is April 22 every year. Earth Day was a combined response to an environment in crisis, which included oil spills, smog, and rivers so polluted that they caught fire.
On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans, 10% of the U.S. population at the time, came together. They took to the streets, college campuses, and hundreds of cities to protest environmental issues and demand a new way of caring for our planet.
The first Earth Day is credited with launching the modern environmental movement. It is now recognized as the planet’s most significant civic event.
The first Earth Day in 1970 launched a wave of action, including the passage of landmark environmental laws in the United States. The Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts were created in response to the First Earth Day in 1970 and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) creation. Many countries soon adopted similar laws.
April 22, 2023, will mark the 53rd anniversary of celebrating Earth Day. The theme for Earth Day 2023 is “Invest in Our Planet.” This year’s theme focuses on engaging governments, institutions, businesses, and the more than 1 billion citizens who participate annually in Earth Day to do their part — everyone accounted for and accountable.
We all have a chance to learn easy ways to change our world with our everyday personal choices. Minor lifestyle changes each day at home, at work, or school can make significant long-term changes. These environmental changes can help us have a clean and litter-free world, unpolluted waterways and groundwater, fewer landfills, and cleaner air.
The choices we make daily — to not litter, to secure our trash in our vehicles, and to not let our cars leak oil all over the roadways — all make a difference. It is all about environmental education, which we hope to provide to our community.
We look forward to seeing everyone at our Earth Day Celebration this year. We aim to make education about the environment and the Earth happen with a lot of fun. The wide-ranging exhibits, displays, games, crafts, music and entertainment at this event all focus on ways we can make a difference for our planet. It is the little everyday things that we do that can make an incredible difference.
Liberty County Earth Day Celebration is a family fun event that everyone in your family can enjoy! It is free, and it is fun! But the best part, honestly, is that it is information that we can all use in our lives. Our planet could use a little help from all of us. I want the Earth to last a few more thousand years, wouldn’t you?
To learn more about Earth Day or volunteer, contact Keep Liberty Beautiful at (912) 8804888, email klcb@liberty countyga.com, or visit our website, www.keep libertybeautiful.org.