Background
Fifty years ago, Wisconsin U.S. Senator, Gaylord Nelson, did something unprecedented. In a time charged with unrest surrounding the Vietnam war, he sought a way to infuse this energy with a growing public consciousness for the environment. On April 22nd, 1970, he asked people of all backgrounds to set aside their differences and stand together. More than 20 million Americans joined forces to preform acts of stewardship on that first Earth Day.
Today, the celebration of Earth Day has expanded to all regions of the world with over a billion people and 75,000 organizations participating in the month of April.
Adversity
In the wake of this momentous anniversary, the world is caught in the clutches of an undiscriminating foe. Every nation is on edge and the connectedness of our world is more apparent than ever.
Countless large rallies, events, and gatherings planned in earnest of this anniversary have been postponed or cancelled. Grafton Lakes State Park was one of those places proud to host a unique multi-day celebration including a lecture series, citizen science projects, and trail work that had to be set aside.
Resiliency
Over the last few months, p  eople have had to adapt to ever changing restrictions on public interactions, finding the space and time to work from home effectively, and the constant nag of worry for the health and wellness of loved ones.
Nevertheless, the evident resiliency of people to overcome unforeseen obstacles in light of the current climate is inspiring and encouraging.
The use of video chat and web-based services to communicate with friends and family, have conferences for work, and tune into webinars has skyrocketed to combat the issue of distance.
Earth Day 2020
 And so, many organizations have taken on the daunting task of working within the new normal to honor this distinguished anniversary virtually. Here at Grafton Lakes State Park, educators have challenged themselves to create materials assessable from home on our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages.
Tune in daily on our Facebook page during Earth Week, April 19th-April 25th, to partake in competitions for the chance to win a prize. Videos are also posted weekly on YouTube, and a special Earth Day video will air on the anniversary date, April 22nd.
In fact, there is much you can do to celebrate this Earth Day from the comfort of your own home. At the end of the document is a link to a spread sheet listing some of the virtual webinars and discussions hosted around the world that you can tune into daily during Earth Week and hourly on Earth Day.
Save the Date
Grafton Lakes State Park is looking towards those days when we can once again rejoin to show our appreciation for the park. Therefore, the park has tentatively chosen Saturday, Sept. 19th, to host a trail repair event.
Going Forward
Although, we must be apart during this strange time, there are still ways to gather and show solidarity just as the first Earth Day participants did fifty years past.
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