Debo Powers reports . . .
Visiting biologists staged an impromptu “Science March” in Polebridge on Earth Day, April 22, in solidarity with hundreds of thousands in Washington DC and around the globe who marched to support science and research-based policy. Several North Fork residents joined in making the statement in front of the Polebridge Mercantile.
From the press release . . .
Celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd with a free family-friendly festival in Whitefish!
The third annual Flathead Earth Day Celebration will be at a new location this year, on the lawn at Whitefish Middle School (at the intersection of Second Street and Spokane Avenue in downtown Whitefish – or inside the school in the event of rain). From 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM, explore over 40 booths hosted by local conservation organizations and green businesses. Each booth will feature a different hands-on activity or craft focused on one of four Earth Day pillars: Grow It, Fix It, Save It,and Live It.
Attendees will be able to plant their own seeds, create repurposed art and toys, visit with live raptors, identify local wildlife and plants, learn about local fish and rivers, sort out how to recycle and help paint a community recycle bin, master how to Leave No Trace, meet Woodsy the Owl and Gracie the “Bark Ranger”, see aquaponics and solar power in action, and discover opportunities to keep celebrating Earth Day all year long – just to name a few!
Kids are encouraged to bring their bicycle for the bike rodeo obstacle course to practice important safety skills. There will be free bike safety checks and tire fills available for bicyclists of all ages.
Participants that complete activities at 10 or more booths with their Earth Day Punch Card will receive a complimentary coffee or treat from Montana Coffee Traders, as long as they go green by bringing their own mug!
Between booth activities, festival goers can enjoy live music, guest speakers, and interactive presentations at the Earth Day Stage (schedule below), or reach new heights on the Get-a-Grip rock-climbing wall and jumper, available free of charge. Local food trucks will be dishing out fresh lunch fare and tasty treats.
E-waste recycling will be collected at the event. E-waste includes computers, flat screen monitors,printers, laptops, servers, cell phones, flat screen televisions, stereos, VCRs, and similar electronics.Old tube CRT televisions or monitors cannot be recycled at the event.
This lively, fun-filled event is a chance to celebrate and learn about all things green in the Flathead.The festival is made possible by Citizens for a Better Flathead, Glacier National Park Lodges,Montana Coffee Traders, and Valley Recycling.
Earth Day Stage Schedule:
11:00 AM – Live music by Here to Make Friends
12:00 PM – A Special Welcome from Glacier National Park
1:00 PM – Wild Bird Show with Wild Wings Recovery Center
1:30 PM – Meet Gracie, the Glacier National Park “Bark Ranger”
2:00 PM – Climate Smart Champion Awards Ceremony with Climate Smart Glacier Country
Find more information on Citizens for a Better Flathead’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CitizensforaBetterFlathead/) or at www.flatheadcitizens.org.
For Earth Day 2014, NASA is trying to get people to submit “selfies” (self portraits, usually taken with a cell phone or tablet) from all over the world. It might be fun to send in several against a North Fork background. Here’s the core part the official press release . . .
For the first time in more than a decade, five NASA Earth-observing missions will be launched into space in a single year. To celebrate this milestone, NASA is inviting people all around the world to step outside on Earth Day, April 22, take a “selfie,” and share it with the world on social media.
Designed to encourage environmental awareness and recognize the agency’s ongoing work to protect our home planet, NASA’s “Global Selfie” event asks people everywhere to take a picture of themselves in their local environment.
On Earth Day, NASA will monitor photos posted to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ and Flickr. Photos posted to Twitter, Instagram or Google+ using the hashtag #GlobalSelfie or to the #GlobalSelfie Facebook event page and the #GlobalSelfie Flickr group will be used to create a crowd-sourced mosaic image of Earth – a new “Blue Marble” built bit-by-bit with #GlobalSelfie photos.
NASA’s 17 Earth science missions now in orbit help scientists piece together a detailed “global selfie” of our planet day after day. Insights from these space-based views help answer some of the critical challenges facing our planet today and in the future: climate change, sea level rise, freshwater resources and extreme weather events. NASA Earth research also yields many down-to-Earth benefits, such as improved environmental prediction and natural hazard and climate change preparedness.
For more information on getting involved in the #GlobalSelfie Earth Day event, visit:
For more information about NASA’s Earth science activities in 2014, visit: