Earth Day will be April 22.
The first Earth Day in 1970 was started by a visionary, senator Gaylord Nelson (1916-2005), 53 years ago. The Wisconsin senator would be pleased with progress and stamina of Earth Day.
That first Earth Day tens of thousands volunteers did their parts to begin the progress of restoring and saving our one Earth. Each year it is up to each of the volunteers to do a part, however, small, even though symbolic. We must do things in a serious way every year, menial and significant, every day.
Jokes were abundant prior to the first Earth Day relevant to who would talk for the Earth, or, who would talk to the Earth, and its meaning and will it last another year. This year is No. 54 in the continuing, serious, story of creating a better space around us.
The first Earth Day, however, was taken seriously by those who understood there is only one Earth to save, restore, clean up.
A part of that continuing process is the Illinois Prairie Path, the Friends of the Great Western Trail, and many hundreds of other organizations prepared to be a part of a truly coordinated effort on more than Earth Day. Efforts are to pick up trash, litter, leave trash bags for pick-up, and volunteers know to wear long pants, gloves, and sturdy shoes.
The Great Western Trail and the Illinois Prairie Path have an overlapping theme. Literally the ground work was left by the Aurora and Elgin Electric inter-urban trains which went west of downtown Chicago to an area between West Chicago and Batavia with one branch going north to Elgin and one going south to Aurora, in place in its own beds and in other places through the streets of those communities. Passenger service was diminished mainly by the use of the automobile. The inter-urban as it was known in the earlier days was a conduit between communities both far and near. Many individuals went 10 miles from one town to the next to visit relatives, work, to go to school.
We must offer praise and thanks to the members of those organizations which promote and work to keep the trails clean and with good growth of flora and fauna. The Great Western Trails clean up will be April 29, one week after Earth Day. Members of the diligent organizations will be busy both weekends.