Festival hosts record crowds, receives national recognition.
On April 17th, 2011, St. Louis Earth Day held what now ranks as the third largest Earth Day celebration in the nation, following Dallas and New York City, according to Earth Day Network, the international organization that catalogs and supports community Earth Day events around the world.
“We are thrilled that St. Louis leaders chose Earth Day to educate the community about sustainable practices and environmental interdependence through hands-on activities, like the All Species parade kicked-off by Mayor Francis Slay,” said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network. “With crowd estimates of approximately 30,000, the St. Louis festival was one of the largest in the country and the premier event in the Midwest.”
Despite large numbers, St. Louis Earth Day is able to facilitate unique educational opportunities and challenges that provide each individual the opportunity to put something learned at the Earth Day Festival into practice. When asked on a post-Festival experience survey what behaviors attendees would change, respondents volunteered answers like: “I will change light bulbs to CFLs;” “I will plant native trees in my backyard;” “I will try to drink tap water by chilling and filtering it;” and “I will shop and eat at locally-owned businesses.”
In many cases, an event of this size results in a lot of waste. Through their Recycling On the Go program, St. Louis Earth Day makes every effort to keep waste from ending up in area landfills. Thanks to grant support from the St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District and the Department of Natural Resources, a small army of volunteers who helped attendees sort their waste at recycle stations, and the vendors who only brought compostable or recyclable materials into the event, 89% of the waste was diverted. By weight, that equates to a mere .01 pounds of trash produced per person.
With a 22 year history, this community celebration has become a destination for those seeking education and entertainment. In a survey, a St. Louis City resident noted: “This is one of my favorite festivals and I look forward to it every year. I’ve told all my friends about it!” Mark your calendars now as the 2012 Festival returns to the Muny Grounds of Forest Park on Sunday, April 22nd.
St. Louis Earth Day is grateful for the support and partnership of many local businesses, companies, and organizations. The event is sponsored in part by Ameren Missouri, Laclede Gas Company, Schlafly Beer, Schnucks Markets, St. Louis Composting, and Shapiro Metals.
St. Louis Earth Day is a non-profit 501c3 organization whose mission is to make every day earth day by cultivating environmental stewardship and engaging individuals, governments, businesses, schools and the non-profit sector in celebration, education and action to support a healthy and sustainable future.
