bEARTHday cardinals

 

Today is Earth Day.  It is also the day of my birth.  If you have been around my blog awhile, you probably know about it. Perhaps your country is one of 193 that celebrates Earth Day.  However, if you are not familiar with Earth Day, I found this excellent explanation in The Old Farmer's Almanac: 

Ever wonder how Earth Day began? The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, when San Francisco activist John McConnell and Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson separately asked Americans to join in a grassroots demonstration. Dealing with dangerously serious issues concerning toxic drinking water, air pollution, and the effects of pesticides, an impressive 20 million Americans—10% of the population—ventured outdoors and protested together.

President Richard Nixon led the nation in creating the Environmental Protection Agency, which was followed with successful laws, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act.

McConnell originally had chosen the spring equinox (March 20, 1970), but Nelson chose April 22, which ended up becoming the official celebration date. (Given that the date of the spring equinox changes over time, it may have made things more complicated to go with the astronomical event rather than just a calendar date.)

 Further:

Each year, Earth Day is assigned a theme to focus the celebrations. In 2025, the theme is Our Power, Our Planet. The campaign urges a tripling of renewable electricity by 2030, emphasizing solar and wind. This focus on renewable energy is crucial as we grapple with increasing extreme weather events.

It is more important than ever now the current administration in my country (USA) has turned a blind eye to renewable energy, especially wind, our forests, electric vehicles, and climate change.  Additionally, the president wants to increase coal production, directly opposing this year's Earth Day message.

For my final project, 

I have called upon my beloved cardinals and created this mixed media book page.  Detail shots are below.

Every thing here is recycled, starting with the book page which I removed from a dictionary bound for the landfill on Neighborhood Clean-up Day.  The cardinals were cut from some 2023 Christmas stickers and the coverings were cut from security envelopes sent to my home.

This is Day 22 of 22 where I (or my guest designers) recycled something every day beginning April 1 and commencing today with the above mentioned recyclables.  Thank you for sticking with me and for allowing me to show what I thought was important to recycle, repurpose, or reinvent.  Your visit has kept me going and I appreciate that more than you know.

I'll be back tomorrow with something I hope you will appreciate and act upon.