Earth Day is the largest celebrated environmental awareness day in all the world. It is recognized in over 170 countries, and more than 6 million Canadian join in the Earth Day festivities with 1 billion other people of the world.

The day is intended to raised environmental awareness.

The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970.

A United States Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, decided to call for an “environmental teach-in” to respond to the growing concern regarding environmental degradation, pollution, and a lack of knowledge on the impact humans have on the world they live in.

This “teach-in” day was called Earth Day, with over 22 million people participating.

Since its success, Earth Day has been celebrated annually across the world to promote environmental awareness, protection, and preservation.

The Columbia Valley is no stranger to Earth Day. This year, Valley residents will once again be able to partake in the Valley Pride clean-up, happening April 23.

Schools in the Valley will be cleaning up around their communities over the course of the week leading up to Earth Day.

David Thompson Secondary School will be celebrating Earth Day with an educational Pow Wow on April 21 along with an Earth Day Fair. People who attend the fair will be able to drop by booths, see live demonstrations and read  some of the creative writing of the students at the high school.

Students from local elementary school will also be out in mutiple communities collecting up litter in an attempt to  help clean up the area.