Newcastle Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day
Posted on 04/22/2020

THIS IS AN ARCHIVED NEWS STORY FROM 2020 AND THE CONTENTS OF THIS ARTICLE MAY NO LONGER APPLY. FOR THE LATEST COMMUNITY NEWS CLICK HERE.

Earth Day was first celebrated 50 years ago today. Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, along with other national leaders, created the holiday in response to a 1969 oil spill in the Santa Barbara Channel. At the time, the oil spill was the largest in US history. Senator Nelson encouraged Americans to spend the day learning about our natural environment and taking action to prevent pollution.

Today, we encourage Newcastle residents to observe Earth Day! A few ways to observe Earth Day include going outside, learning about our natural environment, and preventing pollution at home. View the Newcastle Trails Map to find a nearby trail. Remember, maintain social distancing and choose a park or trail within walking distance. If you have to drive, the park or trail is too far away. (King County owned parks and trails are currently closed, including Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park.) At the bottom of this post, you can find a list of ways to prevent pollution at home and a list of online resources to learn more about our natural environment.

Share a photo of your Earth Day celebration with us by tagging #NewcastleWA on Instagram or Facebook.

Newcastle residents consistently tell us they choose to live in Newcastle because of the beautiful natural environment surrounding our community. In our 2019 community satisfaction survey, citizens ranked “Protecting and enhancing fish and wildlife habitat in local streams, lakes, and wetlands” and “City efforts to correct/prevent water pollution” as the most important services provided by Newcastle’s Surface Water Management Division. With your help, we can continue to protect the natural beauty and health of our Newcastle environment.

Prevent Pollution At Home:

1. Clean out your garage and storage closets then take household hazardous waste to the King County Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Site.

2. Choose natural yard care. Just say no to Weed-n-Feed and other chemical pesticides and fertilizers.

3. Check your vehicle for leaks and fix leaks as quickly as possible.

Online Resources:

— Science packets for K-12 students about ecosystems, watersheds, and humans & water. Packets include instructions for parent/caregiver use: https://naturevision.org/student-packets

— Interactive online game about steelhead and salmon migration through Puget Sound. Invite your friends and create a team! https://www.survivethesound.org/home

— Short film, Lost and (Puget) Sound, about three teens who lose a key down a storm drain. As they search for the key they learn about stormwater pollution in Puget Sound and they discover they can do something about it: https://youtu.be/o9hF2sQ5_9s

— Seattle University Earth Talks series: https://www.seattleu.edu/cejs/events/earthmonth/earth-talks/

— University of Washington Bothell Earth Week Virtual Events: https://sites.google.com/view/earthweek2020/home?authuser=1

— Coloring sheets, mazes, and other resources from King County: https://www.kingcounty.gov/services/environment/stewardship/being-green/events.aspx

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