Friday, April 22, marks 52 years of Earth Day.

Gaylord Nelson, a Democratic senator from Wisconsin, is credited with the creation of Earth Day, and along with Nelson’s co-chair, former Republican California Congressman Pete McCloskey and activist Denis Hayes.

On the very first Earth Day, 20 million Americans took to the streets to demonstrate against negative environmental events, such as oil spills, extinction of wildlife, toxic dumps and more. Earth Day allowed many groups to unite around shared values. Colleges and universities across the country participated in “teach-ins” that were organized by Hayes during the initial Earth Day as well.

“Earth Day 1970 made it clear that we could summon the public support, the energy, and commitment to save our environment,” wrote Nelson in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Journal in 1980. “And while the struggle is far from over, we have made substantial progress.”

Here at The Beachcomber, we couldn’t agree more with Nelson’s statement and how important it is, even if it is more than 40 years old.

Undoubtedly, we have come a long way — 52 years ago the U.S. did not have the EPA, the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the list goes on.

We can even reflect on how we as an island have (or have not) commemorated Earth Day — island geologist Steve Bergman has done a deep dive through old Beachcombers and other island publications to see Vashon’s response over time (see “Every day should be Earth Day on Vashon”).

Other island organizations, such as the Whole Vashon Project, the Vashon Nature Center and the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust are doing excellent work in preserving the planet for future generations.

For instance, the Whole Vashon Project focuses on “[the] vision of our small community standing up to the climate crisis, by sharing green goals and making our efforts and commitments visible everywhere on the island.”

The Vashon Nature Center works to create “transformative nature experiences” through community science, research and education that benefit not only Vashon Island, but the Salish Sea.

The Vashon-Maury Land Trust’s mission is to “conserve land and to protect the natural ecosystems and rural character of Vashon-Maury Island for the benefit of the public and future generations.”

According to Earthday.org, Earth Day 2022’s theme is “Invest in Our Planet.” Included is a list of 52 ways to invest in the planet (see: bit.ly/3KIAk6a). While only one day is officially earmarked as Earth Day, what are some ways we might go out and invest in the Earth this year and into the next? As Earth Day celebrates its 52nd birthday, we must be cognizant of the work that is ahead of us if we are truly focused on being good stewards of our planet.

“We are not free to decide about whether or not our environment ‘matters,’” wrote Nelson. “It does matter, apart from any political exigencies. We disregard the needs of our ecosystem at our mortal peril.”