April is approaching fast and with it one of our most important global celebrations: Earth Day. This is the time of the year when we have the opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the environment and environmental protection. If you believe in a sustainable environment, Earth Day is the global celebration not to be missed. Since 1970 Earth Day has been celebrated annually on the April 22. For some people this marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement. For others it is the opportunity to celebrate and to raise awareness about the importance of the environment in our everyday lives and to think about new and creative ways for us all to live in greater harmony with the earth.  What are you going to do this Earth Day?

What is Earth Day ?
Earth Day began over 30 years ago in the US with a nation-wide protest aimed at shaking up the political establishment and forcing environmental issues on the US national agenda. Twenty million Americans took to the streets to demonstrate for a healthy and sustainable environment. In 1990 Earth Day went global when environmental leaders organized a campaign to lift environmental issues onto the world stage. Millions of people from over 140 nations around the world were involved, and Earth Day events were successful in giving a huge boost to recycling efforts. In 2000 the emphasis was on issues surrounding clean energy.
What began as a protest has grown into a day of celebration of global proportions. It is a time for people around the world to express their collective desire for us all to "tread lightly" on the earth. Events in the US this year are focusing on getting more people to vote green in their upcoming elections, planting trees and water conservation issues. But when it comes to Earth Day activities, just about anything goes.

Dive into Earth Day
Divers will be pleased to hear that since 2000 there has been an Earth Day event especially for them: Dive into Earth Day, which is coordinated by The Coral Reef Alliance. This event lasts for the week of the April 22 and has included everything from underwater clean ups to fish counts and mooring buoy installation programs. This year includes a new initiative called "Coral Park Buddies," encouraging divers to support and raise funds for Marine Parks around the world. And as you would expect our National Marine Park is part of the line up.

How do you want to celebrate Earth Day this year?
It's never too soon to get involved or too late to organize your own Earth Day activity, and what you do is limited only by your imagination. For starters, how about organizing a clean up, decorating grocery bags with Earth Day motifs, planting trees, taking part in a sponsored walk or painting an Earth Day mural.

ALIANSA (Bonaire's Nature Alliance) is partnering with STINAPA Bonaire for this year's Earth Day activities. Caribbean Club will again be hosting an Earth Day extravaganza at their Hilltop property, and Dee Scarr will be leading a clean up dive at the Town Pier on April 22. Debby Wauben, Bonaire's Nature and Environment Education Coordinator, is planning Earth Day activities to involve our local school children.
Bonaire's Earth Day calendar of events
So far in the line up of events for Bonaire's Earth Day celebrations we have:

• Beach clean ups at Boca Chikitu and Playa Chikitu in the Washington Park
  
• Cave clean up at Barcadera
  
• Town Pier clean up dive led by Dee Scarr on April 22
  
• Clearance of the walking paths next to the tourist road from Hilltop to Karpata
  
• Activities for Bonaire's school children.