Our power, our planet
by St. Paul member Becky Wiese
2025 marks the 55th anniversary of the celebration of Earth Day.
The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, and was designed as a national “teach-in,” scheduled to allow the greatest student participation between finals and spring break. It grew rapidly to encompass 20 million Americans, 10% of the country’s population at that time, participating in educational activities or demonstrations.
In 2010, one billion people took part in Earth Day. That same year, the focus turned to clean energy production, decreased plastic use, and global warming with climate change. Each year has a theme and the 2025 theme is Our Power, Our Planet. The movement encourages the development and use of renewable energy accessible to all global communities with robust efforts to combat climate change.
The larger community
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) eagerly supports Earth Day.
ELCA goals for Earth Care in 2025:
▶ Churches plant at least 500 trees (honoring the 500 years since the
Reformation)
▶ Create compost piles from coffee grounds. Lutherans drink lots
of coffee!
▶ Build a pollinator garden at home to support bees and butterflies. Folks have become aware of the foundational part pollinators play in food production and maintenance of ecosystems.
▶ Take a pledge of “No plastics for Lent.” Try it out. See how you can eliminate or reduce the amount of plastic you use.
The Environmental Awareness Team is a group of environmentally conscious individuals from St. Paul. Each week, they clean up trash around the St. Paul campus, don green aprons to wash dishes at church meals, and champion recycling efforts. They embody the spirit of thinking globally and acting locally as stewards of our Earthly home.
Recyclers needed: Twice a month volunteers gather all the items from the recycling bins at church. Wash, flatten, bag, and prepare items for pick-up by Scott County Recycling. Contact: Jan Lloyd, cmljml@q.com.
Soil Stewards are a group of folks who love being outside and caring for the beautiful campus St. Paul is blessed to call home. This volunteer group plants, transplants, weeds, trims, and keeps the grounds looking beautiful. Anyone is welcome to join! Contact: Peg Iglehart, peg.iglehart@gmail.com.
Join the neighborhood clean-up crew: Spring cleaning has begun at home and now it’s time to clean up the St. Paul neighborhood! On Saturday, April 12, 10 a.m.-12 noon, gather to pick up trash and debris in the blocks surrounding the campus. Known as the Make It Yours Neighborhood Cleanup, the activity embodies the spirit of courageous service and it’s fun for the whole family! It’s two hours that make a big difference in the St. Paul corner of the world. Supplies and snacks are provided. Sign up online at stpaulqc.org/signups. Contact: Jules Irish, julesi@mcshi.com.
