The Ecology Center was incorporated as an organization 45 years ago today, on the first Earth Day in 1970. We’re so proud to be 45 years young, and stronger than ever. Younger generations in our country are far more likely to recycle, buy local foods, and be concerned about climate change, and they’ve brought their parents, grandparents, and new youngsters along. These cultural shifts are victories of the grassroots environmental work that began 45 years ago. Earth Day is a celebration of that hard work, and also a chance to see how our work has evolved. We’re clear that there are still major battles that need to be fought – but looking back, we have deep gratitude for all those who have been a part of this work. Together, we’ve won campaigns, and mainstreamed behavior that was once relegated to the fringes of radical environmentalism. We’re taking a look at our archives this year, so look forward to some blasts from the past as we carry forward. In the meantime, head over to our history page for the overview of how we got started, and also check out this post from KQED on the roots of Earth Day.
Today, our staff gathered to have cake and celebrate the near-retirement of one of our long-time partners in this work, Beebo Turman. We sang happy (b)earth day, too!
How are you celebrating earth day? Whether it’s today or every day, we’d love to hear your ways of remembering, protecting, repairing, or fighting for a healthy environment.