Trash bags, gloves, and tweezers. These are what the eighth graders brought to the Tama River. The eighth graders embarked on a day trip to the Tama River, picking up trash and cleaning the river. Not only did this make the river clean, but this trip also emphasized the importance of conserving the environment, and it gave all the students a chance to come together and contribute to the local community.
History of Earth Day
Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd every year. It started as an environmental movement in 1970 in the United States. Before the seventies, Americans (and many worldwide) were consuming and inhaling large amounts of polluted gases through incineration plants, factories, and cars. Since there were no environmental regulations, industries produced a vast amount of goods, which increased profit and boosted the GDP of the country, but significantly decreased the health and environment of the country. The first person who called out for action is Rachel Carson, an American writer and marine biologist, who published Silent Spring in 1962, a book emphasizing the negative effects of human activity on the environment and organisms. This book became a New York Times best seller, and over 500,000 copies were sold in over 24 countries. Senator Gaylord Nelson and Denis Hayes are also important figures who started Earth Day. Senator Gaylord Nelson(1916-2005), a Junior Senator from Wisconsin, was always worried about the environment of the United States. He nominated Denis Hayes (1944-present) to start protests in universities on April 22, a day between spring break and exams, to call out for action and have as many students as possible join the protest. Over 20 million Americans joined which is about 10% of the population, protested in 1970. This day marked the start of Earth Day.
Eighth Graders at the Tama River
70 eighth graders went on a day trip to the Tama River. Not only did they clean up the river and pick trash, but they also had a peaceful meditation time and a long recess time to run around and spend time with friends. “We were fortunate with the cooperative weather this year; all the students took the job of picking up trash seriously but still had a great time.” Said Dr.Ashmore, the middle school principal who went on the trip. The eighth graders not only contributed to the environment but also spread environmental awareness and fostered a sense of community and cooperation.
