A Natural Milestone
Acknowledging the number 40 can feel like a mid-life crisis for many but this year that same number marks a milestone everyone should naturally celebrate: Earth Day! It’s hard to imagine that a decade filled with political upheaval, precarious space missions, and the birth of the VCR began in the year 1970. That same year, a Wisconsin senator by the name of Gaylord Nelson, proposed a nationwide environmental protest. Many said the event was a gamble but the Senator bemused years later: “It worked!”
Earth Day is now an internationally recognized day bringing like-minded individuals and organizations together to educate people about global warming; teach and promote sustainable actions in and around homes and businesses, and more; while at the same time dedicating hours to cleaning local beaches, parks, and habitats. Leave No Trace and organizations like it are the result.
In recent years though the emotional impact of saving the environment has reached a new level for many parents worried about the earth their children will inherit. This dedication to saving the planet is commendable but some experts say, at the almost heightened level, it’s counter-intuitive. And while Ecopsychology, taught at Harvard Medical School and other noted universities, has given rise to the “eco-anxiety” diagnosis the experts still agree: the benefits to a child’s physical and mental health from unstructured play, family time together and connecting with nature, are overwhelmingly positive. And educators will confirm – excite, engage, and playfully educate is a gold standard approach when fostering future environmental stewards of nature.
Chipper celebrates Earth Day with a new book dedicated to raising funds to help support educational and scholarship programs at Crissy Field, one of the nation’s most breathtaking open spaces in the nation. Come play by the Bay the next time you’re in San Francisco and celebrate the mission of Earth Day!
