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Clear
Lake
Gaylord
Nelson, the Founder of Earth Day |
Gaylord Nelson, the Founder of Earth Day,
was born in Clear Lake, Wisconsin, on June 4, 1916. When he was
a little boy, he was very interested in natural resources. He
grew up loving the land around him. In 1948, he became a State Senator
and served in the Wisconsin legislature for ten
years. From 1958 to 1962, he served as Wisconsin's Governor before
being elected to the U.S. Senate where he served for 18 more years. Nelson believed
that every citizen deserved the right to live in a decent environment.
In 1963, he traveled with President John F. Kennedy on a conservation
tour to try to focus attention on the environment. They traveled
through Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Wyoming,
Utah, Washington and California and told people about the need
to conserve natural resources. Nelson decided that he needed
to find a way to get the people of America to pay even closer
attention to the challenge of keeping the earth healthy. He came
up with the idea of having a nationwide event to celebrate the
environment. He wrote letters to governors and the mayors of
big cities asking them to proclaim one day every year Earth Day.
It worked, and an estimated 20 million people participated in
educational activities and community events on this special day.
Each year, April 22nd is celebrated as Earth Day. It is a day
for us to remember that we must take care of our planet so that
it is around for a very long time.
Links to other
sites about Gaylord Nelson and Earth Day:
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