FRAMINGHAM, MA - on Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 11:00AM to 3:00PM there will be an Earth Day Festival on the Framingham Centre Common.

Environmental groups, local artisans, displays of energy saving products along with information about recycling, composting and other displays and activities are planned.  Get ideas about how to be more green, while you enjoy live music, delicious foods and fun stuff for kids.

A detailed list of Framingham Earth Day ("Earth Month") events follows, but first:

Why Earth Day?

Many people think Earth Day is about recycling, cleaning up trash and trying to save energy -- it is!  But, there was much more to the concept of the first Earth Day, (which was held on April 22, 1970).

Founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, (D), Wisconsin, and first held April 22nd, 1970, Earth Day was established as a "national teach-in".

In his speech that day, Nelson said, "Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human being and all living creatures."

Over the past 30 odd years we've made much progress towards Nelson's ideals, but we've also failed to learn much of what his Earth Day was intended to teach us.

In 1963, after years of promoting conservation, pushing through legislation for pollution control and trying to get people, business and government to respect the environment, Nelson was invited to travel with then President John F. Kennedy for an 11-state "conservation tour".

One of the final issues that gave Nelson the commitment to try to Save the Earth was viewing an 800 square mile oil slick off the coast of Santa Barbara, California after a Union Oil Company platform six miles off the coast blew-out on January 29, 1969.

U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson, Founder of Earth Day

Irony, or simply lessons not learned?

Today, most people who read newspapers or watched t.v. or internet news  know what it means when a well "blows out".

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig blew-out at about the same distance from shore in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010 -- and BP's oil continued to gush into the Gulf around-the-clock on the 30th Anniversary of Earth Day, (and for weeks and months after).

In 1970 the Vietnam War, anti-war and anti-government protests, impending nuclear doom, Abby Hoffman, Jimi Hendrix, Richard Nixon and civil unrest by "young people" were standard fare for the evening news.

In a CBS Special Report, on the evening of the first Earth Day, Walter Cronkite told America that, although Earth Day "failed to unite [the nation] as its sponsors hoped", that; 2000 colleges, 10,000 lower schools, 2,000 communities and many more individuals and groups participated in Earth Day events, and that "the gravity of the message of Earth Day still came through -- act or die."

EARTH DAY EVENTS in FRAMINGHAM, MA

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Earth Day Celebration at Garden in the Woods - Saturday, April 23, 2011, Free admission and free parking! Explore the Curtis Path on a guided walking tour. Find exciting natural wonders on a scavenger hunt. Learn about trees, native plants, gardening, conservation, invasive plants, spring ephemerals, compost tea, medicinal herbs, edible gardens, pollinators, and bug-eating plants and lots more. Enjoy face painting, crafts and other fun things. Talk to Mother Nature and find out how she juggles so many things. She might even give you a lesson in juggling. Visit the Garden Shop for native plants, gear, custom branded merchandise, snacks and more. Special Earth Day events from noon to 4 p.m.  For more info, visit: www.newenglandwild.org

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FRAMINGHAM EARTH DAY FESTIVAL - Saturday, April 30, 2011 from 11:00AM to 3:00PM, Framingham Centre Common. Celebrate Earth Month with Live Music, Delicious Food, Local Artisans, Environmental Information, Energy Saving Ideas, Eco Products, Recycling, Composting, Raffles and Children’s Activities! For more info, visit: www.FraminghamSierraClub.Org

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GREEN UP DAY - Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 9:00AM to 12:00PM.  Help eliminate trash from our town’s streets, parks and neighborhoods. Sign up locations all over town, including Framingham Centre Common. For more info, visit: www.greenupday.org

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ELECTRONICS RECYCLING -  Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 9:00AM to 2:00PM. Safely recycle your electronics, large and small. First United Methodist Church, 360 Water Street, Framingham.  For more info, call:  (508) 877-2151.

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PRESCRIPTION TAKE BACK DAY - Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 10:00AM to 2:00PM. Remove outdated or unwanted drugs and medicines from your home and bring to the Framingham Police Station for safe disposal.

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STYROFOAM COLECTION DAY - Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 10:00AM to 3:00PM.  Recycle your clean Styrofoam and keep it out of the landfill! Grace Congregational Church, 76 Salem End Road, Framingham. For more info, visit: www.refoamit.com

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Resources:

www.earthday.org - EarthDay organization website.

www.nelsonearthday.net - website with detailed info about Sen Gaylord Nelson and Earth Day

www.framinghamsierraclub.org - Framingham Sierra Club website, lists other regional Earth Day, conservation, events and other info.

www.geog.ucsb.edu/~jeff/sb_69oilspill/69oilspill_articles2.html - University of California, Santa Barbara article about 1969 offshore oil well blowout

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