April Earth Month and other dates
4/28-5/5 64th annual Soil and Water Stewardship Week and Sunday 2019 theme is "Life in the Soil: Dig Deeper", sponsored by the National Association of Conservation Districts. Secular and religious education materials available (grades K-8 booklets and activity guides, church leader guide and liturgy, etc.). Also see the spring issue of YES magazine cover story "Beautiful Dirt" (nine articles) and the book Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life, by David R. Montgomery.
4/26 National Arbor Day celebrated annually on the last Friday of April. And, for your mental environment, google "think like a tree": grow roots, branch out, soak up the sun, weather storms, be graceful in the wind, etc.
4/22 Earth Day national day of service. The theme lifted up by Creation Justice Ministries (Justice for God's Planet and God's People, a project of the Division of Homeland Ministries of the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ), for 2019 is "Next Generation Rising" with an emphasis for children and youth to help protect, restore, and more rightly share God's creation. Included resources are a Bible study, sermon starter, liturgical and action materials. Also see reflections on the youth generation's Juliana vs. U.S. lawsuit at #eachgeneration.
Related sites: Global Climate Strike; Fridays for the Future; Youth for Climate; Greta Thunberg.
Note that the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, founded in 1970, will occur next year, 2020.
4/20 BP oil rig explodes in Gulf of Mexico, 2010
4/3 Student Conservation Association founder Liz Putnam's birthday
3/31 Cesar Chavez Day (farm workers and health issues)
3/30 Turn Off Your Lights for Earth Hour, Saturday 8:30 p.m., sponsored by World Wildlife Foundation.
3/28 40th anniversary of partial meltdown of PA Three Mile Island nuclear plant, 1979
3/24 30th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska
3/24 30th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska
3/22 World Water Day
3/15 International Day for a Climate Strike (organized by youth)
3/7 World Health Day
3/3 World Wildlife Day
2/27 International Polar Bear Day
2/26 World Spay Day
2/4 World Cancer Day
Note: This blog by Michael Ochs began here eight years ago, March 2011, and is adopted from his Creation Corner Column, appearing since 1997 in the print and on-line monthly ecumenical newsletter of the United Churches of Lycoming County, Williamsport PA.
