The initial text is from remarks by Borough resident Rani Norley at the opening ceremony outside Phillips Memorial Building, WCU, after her official unveiling of the 2021 Green Team yard sign marking it joining the Transition movement (close-up below; to order, see here) and, despite the blustery morning, surrounded by seasonal flowers. The following photos are of Earth Day art and observances along S. and N. High St. And the text at the end gives our own thoughts on Earth Day.
Thank you, everyone, for this wonderful event. It’s amazing to see so much support for green initiatives in our Borough. To the West Chester Green Team, Dr. Bradley Flamm, Courtney Finneran, Professor Megan Schraedley and all of you for attending and listening to these important messages — thank you.
Thirteen months ago, our lives as we knew it, forever changed. It has been a time of challenges and re-envisioning. Through all the trials and tribulations, there was also something amazing happening on our planet. As we stopped doing, our nature, plants and animals started thriving. For me this has been a time of reflection, and how we as the people on this planet have a connection, a human connection to everything on it. We are not just a part of it, we are deeply connected to it. And when we take the power of our hearts, mind and body in harmony, we have the ability to do wonderful things.
Movements like the WCGT, Transition US, and WCU sustainability efforts are critical to cultivating a more just, sustainable and regenerative future.
With the new beginnings of Spring and its enthusiasm here, I am excited to take this energy towards a wonderful transition. To transition to a greener Borough. To transition to a community that values the strengths of diversity and the necessity of equity. Together, with hands of all shapes and sizes and color working in harmony to bring us Spring blossoms.
What is Earth Day?
In April, 1970, US Senator Gaylord Nelson, drawing on his commitment to the environment, promoted the first national day to honor the Earth. People around the world now celebrate Earth Day every April 22.
Symbolically, on April 22, 2016, the nations of the world signed the Paris Agreement, setting concrete goals to rein in climate-altering worldwide temperature increases. Earth Day gradually grew into Earth Week, and now we speak of April as Earth Month.
In the northern hemisphere this is the month of spring and hope, the season to do our part by planting our own gardens and resolving to cut down on fossil fuel consumption, air and water pollution, overuse of plastics and chemicals, and other practices that threaten human and environmental health.
In the then-new Earth Day spirit, State Senator Franklin Kury guided passage of Pennsylvania’s environmental rights amendment in 1971 and now, going strong at age 84, has written a new book honoring the 50th anniversary of that constitutional guarantee to the “right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment” for all Pennsylvanians.
West Chester Green Team 
2 responses to “Earth Day chalking and art festival, West Chester, April 22, 2021”
[…] Back in January a group of Green Team leaders and friends engaged in a brainstorming activity following the guidelines of the international Transition movement: what does your town need? Out of this activity came 5 ideas which were discussed and narrowed down to three for 2021. First, we decided that the community needed community gardens and now we have three. As part of this outreach, the Green Team asked two of our hosts, Barclay Friends and the Melton Center, what can we do for you? At Barclay we are teaching gardening skills to the staff, growing herbs to be used in the residents’ dining hall and providing a concert in the garden for residents and gardeners and their families, with local favorite Stephanie Markstein performing on August 14.At the Melton Center, we agreed to provide children’s programming and are now busy getting all the details in place for 8 evening events. The series begins on Monday, June 21 with a planting activity led by Liz Schultz, the GT’s summer intern. Subsequent programs will include a folk tale about peaches from Japan, one on how pumpkins grow, another on beneficial insects, and finally an ice cream party–with no dairy options–along with stories from New Zealand. Our other 2 transition initiatives for 2021 are Living Landscapes and cutting down on plastics. If you would like to volunteer to help at either Barclay Friends or the Melton Center or would like to donate to these good causes, please contact Margaret at mhudgings@gmail.com.Our sign: Have you seen it yet? Many colored hands with blossoming flowers and the words “Rising to the Challenges of Our Time.” The beautiful image was created by Transition US and happily shared with us. This year’s sign was unveiled on Earth Day at West Chester University by Mayor Jordan Norley and his wife Rani. WCU representatives in attendance included Brad Flamm, Director of Sustainability, and Prof Megan Schraedley. In addition, Nathaniel Smith represented the GT. Dr Schradley and West Chester GT/Tree Team head Courtney Finneran were recognized for their environmental leadership and presented the keys to the Borough by Mayor Norley. See the text of Rani Norley’s well-received unveiling speech along with other Earth Day info and images here. […]
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[…] For more info and images of Earth Day, see here. […]
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