Happy Earth Day, Gusties! Earth Day is an opportunity to honor our planet and commit to protecting its resources. We can use this day to learn, reflect on our individual and collective action towards a healthy planet, and celebrate the advocacy work that our community is currently engaged in to promote a more sustainable future.
April 26th is Earth Day at Gustavus! In addition to participating in the campus-wide celebration, you can visit the library and find resources about Earth Day and environmental issues.
Did you know that the first Earth Day at Gustavus took place on April 22, 1970? Here’s how it was described in the 1970 Gustavian yearbook:
Earth Day: 4/22/70. Earlier in the spring Gustavians took a day off to participate in a day devoted to study of environmental problems. The college also set aside this day for the reading program discussion groups. Lectures on the problems of pollution and population were given throughout the day in both Alumni Hall and the Canteen. At the same time some of the students went into the St. Peter Community with petitions asking the national broadcast networks to devote a day’s broadcast time to the statement of the environmental problem. Some professors felt that the problem required less discussion and more action and therefore took their reading groups on clean-up campaign[s] through the Nicollet County countryside. Earth Day activities at Gustavus were also related to the larger national Earth Day activities. Students helped finance pro-environmental campaigns by buying the National Earth Day button.
Looking for more information related to environmental issues?
- Check out our research guidesfor Environmental Studies, Geography, and more
- Search thelibrary catalog for books, articles, and videos. Just a few examples include:
- Earth Day and the Environmental Movement: Standing Up for the Earth(ebook, 2020)
- Earth Day, the Beginning: A Guide for Survival(1970, General Collection HC110.E5 E2)
- As Long As Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock(General Collection E98.S67 G55 2019)