Strong Touch Of Earth Day Spirit

“In nature, nothing exists alone.”(Rachel Carson, 1962)

It’s Earth Day again for Ruth and I on our third, extended road trip stay in close proximity to the Central California coastline. Unsurprisingly, our attendance at a Sunday Earth Day Festival on a blue sky filled, sunny afternoon at Cambria would offer strong evidence of how this region strongly respects Earth Day initiatives of enhanced environmental awareness, endangered animal protection, and the sustainable resource use on earth. Thus gathering my thoughts from this event and our most recent excursions throughout Central Coast California, the following self made video and photographic display in the ensuing paragraphs thus attempt to reveal to my readers the critical need to support such Earth Day initiatives.

At Limekiln State Park along the Pacific Coast Highway, we hiked amidst primarily second growth Redwood trees to the remnants of large kilns. The entire Redwood forest here was once cut and burned in the late 1800s in these stone ovens to make way for lime and wood exporting operations. More recently downed trees that we observed on our walk had been ravaged by climate change and uncontrolled fire.

Thousands of elephant seals migrate to the Beach rookery near San Simeon, California. Walking along the boardwalk to gawk at these amusing creatures, we learned how humans once hunted their blubber for their oil to the brink of extinction. Now protected as a species, these endangered marine animals today face recent threats from invasive human contact and ocean affected, climate change.

The Thursday night Farmers Market in downtown San Luis Obispo tantalized our taste buds with a large display of locally grown, fresh fruit and vegetables. With great interest, we also learned that such California produce sold here would most likely be grown pesticide free. In fact, the state of California has recently moved strongly to ban consumer sales of food products exposed to poisonous pesticide spraying. Where does your state stand here?

Who would have thought that a local shop, “Beads By  The Bay” in Morro Bay would house a sunlit, outdoor cove in the back of the store filled with succulent organic plants, rare rock collections, and an herb shrouded fountain?  Sitting quietly amidst this treasured garden as my wife shopped for beads, I felt warmly spiritual here admiring these uplifting natural surroundings.

Our morning outing to the Earth Day Festival at Greenspace Creekside Reserve In downtown Cambria would provide vivid evidence that Earth Day’s importance is alive and well in this environmentally activist community. As outsiders from South Florida, we enjoyed gaining a Central California perspective through informal expert discussions and acoustic guitar music about how to get involved in environmental education, advocacy, and action.

On a personal level, I learned from this festival to become more cognizant of some simple reminders to make Earth Day an every day occurrence in my life.

Plant something to feel the healing power of nature

Let my voice be heard for environmental preservation

Volunteer/contribute donations for endangered animal protection

Buy reusable items to avoid wasteful action.

Get produce organically from a local farmer’s market

Conserve fossil fuel energy use and go solar.