It was a sunny, successful Earth Day with a great turnout and lots of things to see and do at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla on Tuesday.

Nationally, Earth Day began 38 years ago. Founded by Gaylord Nelson, the idea occurred to him while he was on a speaking tour in the summer of 1969.

At the time, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations called “teach-ins” had spread to college campuses all across the nation.

At a conference in Seattle in September, 1969, Nelson announced in the next spring of 1970 there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment and invited everyone to participate.

Earth Day has been celebrated with growing intensity and interest ever since.
Rolla Earth Day 2008 was held at the Havener Center on the campus of Missouri University of Science & Technology.

“This is the sixth Earth Day we’ve held here in Rolla,” said Melissa Folsum, co-chairman of the Earth Day Committee at Missouri S&T.

Folsum has been involved with the event for the last five years.
“This was the most successful Earth Day we’ve ever had. Last year, we had about 900 participants and this year we had just over 1,400.”

This year’s theme was “Think Globally, act locally.”

Earth Day featured exhibits, live music, and door prizes. There were 25 exhibitors.

Representatives from the St. Louis Science Center engaged children in hands-on-activities.

They built Space Shuttles out of cardboard, and had lots of giveaways for the children to take home.

Other children’s activities included face painting, a litterbug craft project, egg carton gardens, a waste-sorting game, a recycling game, and pine cone bird feeders, among others.

 Also free trees and plants were given out.

The Solar Miner IV, the 2003 National Champion car was on display. S&T student Chris Pieper, a graduating Senior in Computer Engineering demonstrated how to ride inside the car.

The Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District had its “Trash Art” and “Earth Day Poster Contest” winners displayed inside the Havener Center.

 The “Trash Art” was contributed by students from Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties, ages kindergarten through 12.

The art had to be constructed from recycled materials such as empty soda cans, used paper, egg cartons and used metals.

The students created picture frames, sculptures, even a toy car made out of old soda cans.

Winning posters were on display from the Earth Day Poster Contest. The posters had to be centered around the long-term results of recycling.

“The kids get very creative,” said Nongluk Tunyavanich, Environmental Programs Specialist, of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission.

“We received 228 entries, from nine schools for both the “Trash Art” contest and the poster contest,” said Tammy Snodgrass of the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District.

Earth Day T-shirts sold out. “All of the money made from the T-shirts goes back in to help fund Earth Day for next year,” said Folsum.

Persons or organizations interested in participating in, or sponsoring Rolla Earth Day 2009, should contact Folsom or co-chair Amy Gillman at 573 341-7276.

Planning for “Earth Day” begins in January each year.