Despite local event cancellations
If things had gone according to plan, members of Keep Gilmer Beautiful would now be reporting the turnout and tallies for an electronics recycling event that was scheduled to take place last weekend in conjunction with the first-ever 7 Trails Fest. Like many other public events, meetings and gatherings, both the two-day festival and the recycling event had to be canceled in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We had some good momentum going and had just started promoting it (before the outbreak). We were all pretty confident it was going to be a big event,” said Jay Zipperman, Keep Gilmer Beautiful chairman.
Keep Gilmer Beautiful would have also had an informational booth and promoted the importance of recycling at the inaugural 7 Trails Fest, an event designed to highlight and celebrate the county’s various outdoor recreation options.
Robert Ferguson, of the Georgia Mountain Trails Partnership, the nonprofit behind 7 Trails Fest, said the festival will not be rescheduled for a later time this year. Instead, it will take place in April 2021.
“Were moving it to April 17 and 18 of next year,” he confirmed. “We had thought about moving it to the fall, but we don’t know what’s going to happen (between now and then) and we also didn’t want to compete with everything else going on in the fall. We’re still planning on partnering with Keep Gilmer Beautiful next year and it will be a combined weekend for 7 Trails Fest and Earth Day.”
For the past 20 years, Keep Gilmer Beautiful has hosted various types of community cleanups in recognition of Earth Day. Throughout the year, multiple community groups, churches, businesses and individuals participate in roadside cleanups for the nonprofit’s Adopt-A-Road program.
Those cleanup activities are also on hold for the time being, Zipperman confirmed.
“Right now, we’re not doing any Adopt-A-Road pickups. We ceased all cleanups because you’re out there (working closely) with other people and picking up contaminated litter that’s come out of people’s vehicles,” he added. “Maybe, at some point that will be lifted, but, like everything, it’s so uncertain.”
Zipperman said he does not yet know if the e-waste recycling event, at which Keep Gilmer Beautiful would have partnered with an Atlanta recycling company to provide free or low-cost disposal of such electronic devices as cell phones, computers and televisions, can be rescheduled for later this year, but he is going to look into it.
“I have thought about that and would love to still do it, but we will have to wait and see,” he added.
Earth Day important then and now
Despite event cancellations, this year’s Earth Day was still a special occasion for Keep Gilmer Beautiful, as well as many other environmentally conscious groups and individuals around the world.
The very first Earth Day was held 50 years ago on April 22, 1970.
The end result of Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson’s idea to organize a nationwide educational effort that would raise awareness of America’s widespread air and water pollution issues, it inspired millions to demonstrate against pollution and advocate for environmentally responsible practices.
Per EarthDay.org: “Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, urban dwellers and farmers, business and labor leaders. By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other first-of-their-kind environmental laws including the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Clean Air Act. Two years later, Congress passed the Clean Water Act. A year after that, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act and, soon after, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.”
“It was important 50 years ago and even more critical today that we take action to preserve our environment by reducing, reusing and recycling,” Zipperman said.
Keep Gilmer Beautiful is letting local residents know they can share in commemorating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day by creating an environmentally friendly project and sharing it on Facebook using #GilmerEarthDay.
“We’re just giving people something positive (to do). They can celebrate with us by doing one or two things that will make a difference. What beautification project have you done around your home or property during the stay in place order? We would love to see and hear about them,” Zipperman said.
An example of that is an upcycled art project created by local artist and jewelry-maker Nancy “NancyFangles” Brown and members of Stay Active Ellijay that was recently on display in front of the Gilmer County Courthouse in recognition of Earth Day.
“Upcycling is reusing materials to create art or functional products. They created these beautiful flowers made from plastic water jugs, which were cut out, embossed and painted. They also reused an old crib box spring, which would have ended up in the landfill, to display the flowers,” Zipperman said.