Since 1970, communities have united to celebrate Earth Day. This year, more than one billion people in 180 countries will showcase the collective power of individuals taking action to celebrate and care for the planet.
Locally, Earth Week will include cycling tours, nature walks, wildlife education, art displays, films, workshops and discussions.
The week kicks off Tuesday with World Community’s 7:30 p.m. screening at Upper Filberg Hall of A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet. Filmmaker Mark Kitchell captures the sweeping history of the environmental movement as both a cautionary tale and a celebration of citizens coming together.
Saturday’s culminating Earth Festival at Lake Trail School School will conclude the week at 4:30 p.m. with a visionary presentation, Imagining a Green Sustainable Comox Valley, by Guy Dauncey of the BC Sustainable Energy Association. Dauncey, an environmental author, will lead a discussion on creating and implementing a community vision that includes our well-being, a healthy planet and a sustaining world for our children.
Between Earth Day and Earth Festival there will be other events like Wednesday’s Wacky Wheely bike rodeo for kids, MARS Walk for Wildlife, Project Watershed’s Estuary Ride and the Keep It Living Art show at Comox Valley Art Gallery. Residents are encouraged to make their own celebrations as well, by going for a family walk, organizing a neighbourhood clean-up, planting a garden or taking actions to reduce waste and live more sustainably.
Earth Week co-ordinator Annie Andrews updates the Earth Week calendar on the Transition Town Comox Valley website, transitiontowncv.org/earthday.