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People of all ages will come together this year to celebrate Earth Day in a live event filled with music, fun, and interesting speakers that proposes to be the largest Earth Day celebration in the area in recent memory. The festivities kick-off at 4:30 p.m. on Earth Day, April 22, at the Cook County Community Center in Grand Marais. The celebration is open to all and free.
“It has been hard to gather as a community since the pandemic began,” said event coordinator Pastor Enno Limvere of First Congregational UCC. “Earth Day Fair is a great occasion to renew our community bonds, give thanks for this wonderful place we live, and come together to heal our planet.”
The Earth Day Fair is the first event sponsored by a new Cook County Climate Team formed in 2021 by citizens whose faith and values call them to care for the environment, including support from five area churches. The group of two dozen came together with help from Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light to see how they could promote solutions to climate change. The group is coordinating with other local climate efforts, such as Cook County Local Energy Projects (CCLEP) and the City of Grand Marais’ Climate Action Plan.
The Fair will feature local speakers from youth climate activist Olya Wright and CCLEP’s Executive Director Kat Meyo to pastors Mark Ditmanson and Daren Blanck. Topics range from Climate Emergency declarations to beekeeping to electric vehicles. Other speakers include Paula Maccabee of Water Legacy, Shane Steele of City of Grand Marais, Cook County Administrator Jan Joerke, and Carly Puch on plant-based eating.
Children can enjoy creating art and poetry to laud Lake Superior, plus other activities. There will be live music, including the North Shore Swing Band which will jazz the place up starting at 6:00 p.m. There will be delicious food, local artisans, exhibits, games, and more.
“It’s amazing how people and groups are coming out of the woodwork to participate in this event.” said Limvere, “We should have something for almost everyone. We are expecting a great event and lots of people.”
Kat Meyo, one of the Fair’s lead organizers, added “This Earth Day Fair will facilitate an inclusive environment for the community to learn, collaborate and grow together. Our focus is to nurture individual and community action towards climate solutions in a supportive atmosphere to cultivate change, equity and sustainable living for Cook County. This can be an excellent opportunity to unify and develop community action towards climate justice as stewards of our Earth together!”
The Cook County Climate Team welcomes new members. Current members come from all different backgrounds and beliefs including Bethlehem Lutheran, First Congregational UCC, and Spirit of the Wilderness in Grand Marais; Trinity Lutheran, Hovland; and Zoar Lutheran, Tofte; as well as members with no faith affiliation.
Earth Day was first celebrated in the U. S. April 22, 1970, thanks to the vision and efforts of Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. Over the years it has spread to 193 countries and is celebrated by an estimated 1 billion people. In recent years, celebrations have come to focus more and more on the growing concern of climate change and the threat it poses to all life, especially human. Huge celebrations planned to mark the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day in 2020 were dampened by the Covid- 19 pandemic. This year enthusiasm for the day is expected to rebound, with thousands of celebrations across the planet.
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