Earth Day was first officially celebrated in 1970, 55 years ago. It’s a time to remember the beauty of our planet and our responsibility to care for it for future generations. The Macksville City Library hosted an Outdoor Kansas Kids (O.K. Kids) event at the Macksville Grade School, for all students Pre-K through 6th grade, thanks to a grant from the Kansas Wildscape Foundation.

Students were given information about how to sign up their families for the Wildlifer program. This free program encourages kids to get outside and enjoy fun activities, such as fishing, catching fireflies, hiking, playing in the mud, stargazing, and more. If they complete 15 out of the 20 optional challenges, they are eligible for prizes and certificates. It is simple to sign up at: Kansaswildlifer.com

During the program, the students also learned about recycling and how to tell if items should be reused, recycled, trashed, or taken to the Store Drop-Off locations. Books about nature and Earth Day were displayed for check out, and kids were invited to enter the recycled bookmark contest. Entries are due April 30th. All entries will receive a sweet treat and be entered into the grand prize contest.

The program finished with a Wildlifer challenge: Take Aim. Students tossed pinecones, aiming for a large RECYCLING symbol drawn on the sidewalk. The 4-Year old Pre-Schoolers won the contest with a 33% accuracy rate. They each received a hiking whistle. Then, all students and teachers got to pick a flower to take home and plant. The options were: petunias, vincas, and portulaca, all hardy flowers that tend to thrive in Kansas.

The founder of Earth Day, Gaylord Nelson, is quoted: “The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.” And, Ernest Hemingway said it well, “The earth is a fine place and worth fighting for.”

For more information about this and other local programs, visit macksvillelibrary.com