Earth Day is usually celebrated with events such as tree planting and environmental cleanups to honor the Earth as home.
In Levelland, in recognizing Earth Day and Arbor Day, the City of Levelland Parks and Recreation partnered with Keep Levelland Beautiful to plant a tree at Oxy Sports Complex.
Joined by city officials and the Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Breann Buxkemper presented an official proclamation.
“Planting this tree is more than a way to celebrate Earth Day,” said Special Events Coordinator, Angi Covarrubias. “This act is an investment in our community’s future. Each tree planted adds beauty, improves our environment and reflects the pride we take in keeping Levelland beautiful. We plan to continue bringing our community together to create a cleaner, greener and more vibrant place for generations to come.”
Before the first Earth Day, environmental issues weren’t a major focus in national policy and public discourse. In many U.S. cities, industrial activity was carried out with little environmental control, resulting in large-scale air pollution. Lead gas was standard, and emissions from cars and factories caused air and water quality to deteriorate.
Rachel Carson, an American writer and marine biologist, wrote Silent Spring, published in 1962. This altered public consciousness about how humans were affecting the world. The book documented the effects of pesticides on ecosystems and human health, prompting increased nationwide attention to environmental conditions.
As public interest grew, Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed a national environmental teach-in, which included discussions and lectures drawing on political activity. The goal was to host events on college campuses to raise awareness of environmental issues. At the federal level, Nelson worked with Congressman Pete McCloskey, co-chair, to support the effort.
Nelson picked activist Denis Hayes to organize the campus teach-ins and expand the movement across the country, and April 22 was chosen as the event date because it fell between spring break and final exams at many colleges, which encouraged student involvement.
The first Earth Day was set on April 22, 1970, with events held in thousands of colleges and communities across the United States.
From its origins as a nationwide teach-in in 1970 to local observances such as Levelland’s tree-planting ceremony, Earth Day remains a recurring reminder of the environmental concerns that first brought students, lawmakers, and communities together.