There were lots of trees, hugs and sunshine at Earth Day Festival
Tate Flamm, 2, of Afton scoops soil into his plant at an exhibit during Earth Day: Party for the Planet at the Muny grounds on April 22, 2017, in Forest Park. Photo by Michael Thomas
You can say this much about the thousands of people at this weekend’s Earth Day celebration at Forest Park: They don’t leave behind a lot of litter.
The annual event is a gathering of organizations and ordinary people striving to preserve the environment, promote social causes, use sustainable forms of energy, enhance personal spirituality and generally work toward like-minded ideals.
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it,” read a sign attached to one booth.
“Mother Earth speaks through every flower,” read a sign on another.
Waamene Wifa was giving out free hugs Saturday, part of an effort by Gitana Productions. “We use music, dance and drama to bring people together. We’re all part of the same planet,” said the the organization’s executive director, Cecilia Nadal.
Meanwhile, the Missouri Department of Conservation was handing out free tree seedlings — hazelnut, swamp white oak, red mulberry and witch hazel. All are native to the area, a point that was important also to the Missouri Prairie Foundation across the way, which advocates for the preservation of unplowed prairie lands.
The foundation’s Grow Nature arm was handing out free New England aster plants, which are also native to the Missouri prairie and are said to attract monarch butterflies on their migration in the fall.
Of course, the Earth Day celebration is not just groups giving out free stuff. Many of the more than 150 booths are informational in nature, with plenty of facts on everything from solar panels to the Peace Corps to endangered wolves. One booth was run by Crown Ridge Tiger Sanctuary near Ste. Genevieve, which provides open space, food and love for abused and neglected tigers and other big cats.
This being a St. Louis public event, of course there was plenty of live music available on two stages. Trucks selling food — much of it locally sourced, vegetarian or organic — did a brisk business. Automobile fans could check out a host of electric vehicles, including a 1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle that was first converted to electricity in 1982 and had a second conversion in 2007.
In one section, a table devoted to a relatively new, Eastern-influenced religion, Eckankar (“the path of spiritual freedom”), was next to a table for the Sierra Club, which was next to a table for Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Members of the Fire Fairy Hoop Tribe, who perform with hula hoops, brought a number of brightly colored hoops to lend to passersby. “We brought these to cheer people up, have some fun, engage with the kids,” troop member Dara Mattern said.
But it wasn’t just the opportunity to buy tie-dyed T-shirts and learn about wind power that drew the crowds on Saturday. Part of celebrating Earth Day means acknowledging Mother Nature, and, after a winter that overstayed its welcome, she was kind.
“It’s a beautiful day. Gorgeous and sunny,” said Tracy Warnol, who was there with Mark Ratteree and their 4½-month-old pit terrier puppy, Roxy. “We’re trying to get our dog to socialize with other dogs,” Ratterree said.
Brad Poole said he attended because “it’s a nice day. Weather first.” But he also said he came for all the available information “and to get a couple of good ideas.”
Vicki Sauter said, “the appeal to me was all the things that you can do. I was here with a friend who has a little one, so I can look at it through his eyes.”