Earth Day is underway across the world and the Peace Country is no different.
Grande Prairie celebrated Earth Day in a big way with a day of festivities across the city on April 20th, and free public transit to mark the occasion.
The Town of Wembley has been quite vocal on social media, sharing awareness campaigns and tips for residents to observe the occasion and Wembley CAO Noreen Zhang says while their town might be small and resources might be limited, it is still important to engage with the public on some measures they can take to celebrate Earth Day.
“We just want to encourage everyone to be mindful of their environmental footprint and impact to whatever decisions they have to do in their daily activities,” she says. “It’s about encouragement and information and awareness, the big key thing is awareness because if people don’t understand what it is for people just see it as just another thing that’s out there.”
Zhang adds that it is important for residents to remember that Earth Day should not be a one-time change. She says Earth Day serves as a reminder for the public to stay aware of the environmental impacts in their day-to-day lives.
“What we’re trying to do is make sure they are aware that Earth Day is not just a day that people are going through, but it’s something that could impact generations to come,” she says. “It doesn’t have to be just for one day that you actually turn off your lights and that you actually are cautious of the resources that you have, but it’s a daily thing, it’s a lifestyle change that people can actually adopt.”
In Grande Prairie, the city’s 2024 City Scrub event is underway until April 30th to encourage residents to do their part in cleaning up the city after the snow melt.