EARTH DAY CLEAN UPS SCHEDULED FOR PARKS, PRESERVES ACROSS OHIO
Local residents, scout troops, youth organizations invited to lend a hand on clean-up days

COLUMBUS, OH – In preparation for the 38th annual observance of Earth Day on Tuesday, April 22, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) reminds everyone of numerous opportunities in the upcoming weeks to lend a hand in cleaning up nearby state parks and nature preserves.

“The first rule of conservation is that everything is connected to everything else,” said ODNR Director Sean D. Logan. “The connections that Earth Day creates, connections with our land, air, water and especially with each other, benefit our environment in countless ways, again and again through the year.”

Earth Day is a global effort that aims to bring about awareness of how special natural resources are to everyday life. The first international Earth Day was held on April 20, 1970 - the outgrowth of a student-led campus movement. Earth Day was soon embraced as a worldwide celebration of natural resources that eventually led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as well as passage of the Clean Water, Clean Air and Endangered Species acts.

As Earth Day approaches, Ohioans are urged to consider the following events as ways to enjoy nature and give back to the environment.