Earth Day gets around

The planet's getting a lot of love in Los Angeles County this month, and not just on Earth Day.

Earth Day is all over the map, and not just geographically-speaking. Throughout Los Angeles County, diverse groups are building traditions that shape the holiday—and help heal the planet—in a variety of ways.

In fact, Earth Day has gotten so big that the event can’t be limited to one day. The official observance is Monday, April 22, but events are spilling out across the calendar, with many starting this weekend.

Among those getting an early jump is the city of Calabasas, which is sponsoring its Earth Day Celebration/Green Expo on Saturday, April 13, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Tarzana is also an early bird, with Earth Day festivities this Saturday, April 13, that include a free pancake breakfast, an obstacle course, a poster-making contest and other family-oriented fare.

Volunteers can get their hands dirty working on a restoration and cleanup at Malibu Creek State Park on Saturday, April 13. Jerry Emory of the California State Parks Foundation, which is sponsoring the event, noted that such volunteerism helps chip away at $1.4 billion in deferred maintenance stemming from budgetary problems.

For professional environmentalists, Earth Day, regardless of where it falls on the calendar, is a chance to reach a broader audience.

“I think Earth Day is a way to connect people to the fact that this planet is fragile,” said Meredith McCarthy, director of programs for Heal the Bay. “It’s an opportunity, but it’s also scary because there is so much need to repair what has been done to this planet.”

Heal the Bay will host events throughout April to clean up beaches, creeks and neighborhoods. They’re also throwing a two-day educational festival at the Santa Monica Pier on April 20-21. Also on April 20, fellow water-protectors Los Angeles Waterkeeper will hold their second annual Stand-Up for Clean Water Earth Day Festival and Paddleboard Race to lure even more people to the beach.

Then there’s Earth Day Latino, from April 21 to April 22, which seeks to engage audiences with a mix of entertainment and conservation-minded fare.

Latino Earth Day aims to develop a community of new environmental stewards, said Antonio Gonzalez, president of the William C. Velázquez Institute. He and other producers of the event reached out to 10 high schools with an Eco-Intern program, where students performed tasks like analyzing water samples from the L.A. River.

“Our take is that we need to make it meaningful for a community that thought of it as a white, middle class thing,” Gonzalez said. “It’s our holiday, too. You have to promote that in a different way.”

In a class by itself is Topanga Canyon, where environmental consciousness is a way of life. Topanga Earth Day has everything from yoga and a peace ceremony to native planting workshops and dance activism, all set to live musical performances.

“We’re a living example of day-to-day respect and harmony with nature,” said Stephanie Lallouz, who has organized the event for the last 8 years. “We initiate that lifestyle and invite people from the city to see it.”

Posted 4/11/13