BLM Learning Landscapes--News

BLM is sponsoring more than 20 events across the United States to mark the event. Below is a brief listing of events by state.

Anchorage, April 19--The BLM Campbell Creek Science Center (Anchorage Field Office) will participate in an Earth Day event April 19, sponsored by BP Exploration (Alaska), Inc. and Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. BLM staff will host an interactive exhibit on the theme of public land stewardship, with games and activities about energy, environmental literacy, and local natural history. The Earth Day Fair is an annual educational event for BP employees, contractors and the public. Exhibitors include local businesses, conservation groups, and resource development interests. Contact: Jeff Brune, 907-267-1255.

Anchorage, April 24--The BLM Campbell Creek Science Center (Anchorage Field Office) will participate in the National Weather Service Earth Day Fair on Monday April 24. Science Center staff will host a booth with interactive displays and activities related to local natural history. Contact: Colleen O'Brien, 907-267-1249.

Anchorage, April 19--As part of its monthly Fireside Chat lecture series, the BLM Campbell Creek Science Center (Anchorage Field Office) will host a panel discussion titled "Get Out! Why Kids Need Nature" on Wednesday April 19th. A panel of experts will discuss the topic from a variety of viewpoints including an overview of the benefits documented by scientific research, therapeutic benefits for at-risk youth, and the importance of nature experience for the continuation of cultural traditions. This program is free and open to the public. Contact: Luise Woelflein, 907-267-1269.

Glenallen, May 2--Staff from the Glennallen Field Office will be participating in "Earth Discovery Day" in Copper Center, Alaska on Tuesday May 2, 2006. Organized by the Wrangell Institute for Science and Environment, "Earth Discovery Day" has been an annual event since 2002 and provides area sixth graders the opportunity to learn about a variety of ecological and natural resource management topics in an all-outdoors, fun atmosphere. Contact: Denton Hamby, 907-822-3217.

Agua Fria National Monument , April 1--Removal of Salt Cedar will be held in conjunction with National Public Lands Day. Volunteers will meet at the Badger Springs Exit off Interstate 17 at the entrance to the Monument at 8:45 a.m. Bring gloves, brimmed hat, and sunscreen. Agua Fria is located approximately 40 miles north of central Phoenix, Arizona. Contact: Mary Skordinsky, BLM Hassyampa Field Office, Outdoor Recreation Planner, 623-580-5586.

Black Canyon City, April 22--The "BCC Bicentennial Parade" will recognize Earth Day. BLM is participating in this celebration by taking the firewise trailer to Black Canyon City to share fire prevention messages, including responsible recreation. BLM will also staff a booth recruiting members to the Black Canyon Trail Coalition (BCTC) for construction and maintenance of the historic Black Canyon Trail. Contact: Dorothea Boothe, 602-417-9219.

Yuma, April 20-22--The Yuma Field Office will be celebrating Earth Day this year by participating in the Yuma Birding and Nature Festival on April 20 – 22, 200. Tours and seminars available include visits to two spectacular nature areas in Mexico, a visit to an archaeological site, plus several bird watching tours, several nature hikes to explore wildlife and their habitat, a nature photography tour, and numerous seminars regarding the abundant wildlife and natural areas we enjoy in the Yuma area. Sponsored by the BLM, in partnership with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Arizona Game and Fish Department, City of Yuma, Yuma Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the Yuma Crossing Heritage Area. Contact: Lori Cook, 928-317-3243.

Barstow, April 22:“Garden Party” 10 AM to 2 PM. A program designed to assist cities in reducing the waste sent to the landfill by area residents. Sponsored by the City of Barstow, Mojave Desert and Mountain Integrated Recycling JPA Master Composters and the Bureau of Land Management’s Desert Discovery Center. For more information, call Rose Beardshear at 760-252-6011 or Belinda Barbour at 760-255-5126.

Redding, April 22: “Early Bird Watchers” -- Enjoy early morning bird watching with local expert Barbara Peck and members of Wintu Audubon. Barbara has a Masters in Wildlife Biology and Ecology. She and Wintu Audubon members will point out birds and fascinate us with information about them. Bring your curiosity and (if possible) binoculars. Free event starts at 8 AM. (See 10 AM event to follow, same day.) Directions: Meet at the orange pipe gate, on Clear Creek Road, about seven miles west of highway 273, just west of the Clear Creek Bridge. Call 241-2026 for information.

Redding, April 22 --California Trail Day Cleanup on the Clear Creek Greenway and the Horsetown-Clear Creek Preserve. The Bureau of Land Management will provide trucks, garbage bags, gloves, etc. for cleaning up along Clear Creek Road, and other projects as time and effort allows. Work up an appetite and celebrate your accomplishments over lunch. (This cleanup and celebration follow our 8 am bird watching.) Directions: Meet at the Horsetown-Clear Creek Preserve Trailhead/Parking lot, on Clear Creek Road, about seven miles west of highway 273, just west of the Clear Creek Bridge. Contact: Bill Kuntz, 530-224-2157.

Palm Springs/Coachella Valley, April 22—The BLM Palm Springs Field Office is sponsoring a large clean-up in Box Canyon, old Route 195. A church group, boy scouts, girl scouts and BLM will all be participating in this activity. Contact: Mona Daniels, 760-251-4838.

Palm Desert, April 21--The Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center is sponsoring an Earth Day celebration. Enjoy a guided nature walk to see desert plants, reptiles, and birds. Contact: 760-862-9984.

Salinas, April 22--The Hollister Field Office will have a booth at an Earth Day Fair sponsored by HSBC Card Services. Contact: Lesly Smith, 831-630-5015.

Gunnison, April 29 or 30—BLM’s Gunnison Field Office in Colorado will be sponsoring an Earth Day cleanup and trail work project on the Hartman Rocks Recreation area near Gunnison. We will work together with the City, the County, local homeowners and recreationists to pick up trash, clean up shooting areas and carry out some projects to help implement the new management plan for that area. Work will be either Saturday. April 29, or Sunday April 30. Contact: Arden Anderson, 970-642-4454.

Lorton, April 22-- Meadowood Recreation Management Area is working with Mason Neck State Park for Earth Day. The annual Eagle Festival at Mason Neck State Park will be held on April 22, 2006 from 10:00am -5:00pm . Activities include: canoe tours, Reptiles Alive, Under the Sea, Nature Hike, Magic Show, Hayrides, Bird banding, adopted burros from BLM, Bluegrass music, Raptor Conservancy and other educational programs from around the area. Contact: Theresa Jefferson, 703-339-5269.

Las Vegas, April 22—BLM’s Las Vegas Field Office will be staffing a booth at the Summerlin Earth Fair in Las Vegas on April 22. It will be a joint booth with USFS, F&WS, NPS and BLM. Contact: Kirsten Cannon, 702-515-5057.

Reno/Sparks, April 22--Volunteers are needed to help remove debris from a site north of Golden Valley, off U.S. 395 north of Reno. This volunteer effort is being coordinated by BLM as part of the Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful campaign. Partners include Washoe County Parks & Open Space, City of Sparks Parks & Recreation, Bureau of Land Management, City of Sparks, Washoe County Environmental Health Services, Washoe County, City of Reno, and local businesses and media outlets. Contact: Mark Struble, 775-885-6107.

Eugene , April 22-- The City of Eugene's Earth Day Celebration takes place on Saturday, April 22nd at Eugene Water Enhancement Board's River Edge Plaza . This year's theme is Sustainability: Food for Thought. The event will feature a "procession of all species parade," food, music, and an Earth Action Arena with educational and informational booths and displays. The West Eugene Wetlands Education Center will have an interactive display & booth that talks about wetlands, their significance, and what people can do to protect them.

Ashland, April 22--The Table Rocks Environmental Education Program will be providing an education booth for an Earth Day event at North Mountain Park in Ashland . This is the third season BLM has taken part in supporting this event.

Medford District, April 22--The Lower Table Rock Wildflower Guided Spring Hike on April 22^nd Earth Day. Wildflowers are beginning to show their color, vernal pools are buzzing with life, and spring is returning to the southern Oregon landscape. Join The Nature Conservancy and the Bureau of Land Management for a series of guided, educational walks on the Table Rocks this April and May. This popular hike series, being offered for the eighteenth year, promises a spectacular view of the valley, a natural wildflower display, and expert interpretation from local specialists of the natural and cultural history of the area. Anyone from the community is welcome to sign up for these hikes. There is no fee to participate, but reservations are required: call the BLM Medford District Office at (541) 618-2200. Participation is limited to 30 individuals per hike.

Roseburg , April 22-- Douglas County Earth Day and Energy Fair on April 22 from 10 AM to 4 PM . The BLM exhibit is highly interactive, fun, entertaining, educational and was presented at the Boy Scout National Jamboree in Fredericksburg , VA. The booth will allow attendees to gain appreciation for various energy sources, importance of public lands in meeting energy needs, and understanding of comparative energy use around the world. The interactive activity involves participants rolling a large wheel to come up with a country. They then gain an understanding of the average energy use per person (in kilowatt hours) in that country. They then can pick various appliances (weighted comparatively to represent their relative energy use) to put on a scale to determine their "energy budget." It is very educational to demonstrate energy use around the world, and how some appliances (like central air conditioning) really suck up the e-juice! Conservation is stressed. There is more about the Douglas Co. Earth Day and Energy Fair on-line here.

Salt Lake City, through April 17--BLM’s Utah State Office will be having its annual Earth Day Kid's Poster Contest, which is open to all children, grandchildren, cousins, stepchildren, etc., (of Utah BLMers) from ages kindergarten through 6th grade. This year's theme is "Protect our Heritage Resources" (in cooperation with the Antiquities Act Celebration). Prizes will be awarded to the first place winners in each grade level and Honorable Mention will be given to all other entrants. Contact: Sherry Foot, (801) 539-4195.

St. George, Fridays in April—BLM’s St. George Field Office will have its Brown Bag Spring Series, Fridays at Noon. Sponsored by: Arizona Strip Interpretive Association, BLM, NPS, and Dixie NF. Topics are as follows: April 7: St. George Lava Flows; April 14: St. George: The First Two Decades 1861-1877; April 21: Desert Landscaping; April 28: Mountain Meadows Massacre; May 5: Dating Rock Art; and, May 12: Lucadia Excavations in Warner Valley. Contact: Sherry Foot, (801) 539-4195.

Kanab Field Office and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument are currently having a poster contest for Earth Day in eight of the local schools. Prizes awarded by Stampin UP! Third Annual Earth Day Festival on April 21 with information booths, Leave No Trace, environmental education materials, and free trees from the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education & Extension Service (CSREES). Contact: Sherry Foot, (801) 539-4195.

April 22, 2006 Casper, WY--On April 22, 2006, the community of Casper is working to clean up Coal Mountain Road. Over 200 volunteers are expected to clean up approximately a 3-4 mile long x 1/2 mile wide strip of land along Coal Mtn Road in Natrona County on State, BLM, and private land. Contact: Cindy Wertz, 307-775-6256.

Try our Earth Day Word Scramble and discover the many natural and cultural resources on our public lands! When you're done, check your answers here.

Check out these websites for more information:

www.lnt.org: Learn more about caring for your public lands.

www.eeweek.org: National Environmental Education Week - a week of educational preparation for Earth Day.

www.earthday.gov: Links to federal government web sites for kids related to Earth Day and the environment.