Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Deborah Fuller plans on local residents taking home more than pamphlets of information from Yampatika's 2002 Earth Day.

The event is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at Olympian Hall.

"This is another avenue for us to connect people to the landscape," said Fuller, executive director of Yampatika.

The event will include hands-on activities that will educate residents about a wide variety of environmental concerns such as chronic wasting disease, tree planting, recycling used computers, drought, air population, bears and water conservation.

"It gives us the opportunity to educate more people," Fuller said.

She said not everybody knows all of the environmental issues present in the local area and hopes residents will take advantage of the local organizations and professionals who will be available to answer questions and provide information.

There will be contests at the event, including a contest to see who can pick up the most trash and one to see who can pick up the most dog waste. Fuller said the prevalence of trash and dog waste in community areas and trails has created a large problem that needs to be addressed.

Eco-friendly products will be displayed and children will used recycled egg cartons to plant seeds.

By increasing the community's awareness of current problems, organizers hope it will inspire residents to improve the quality of life in the local community by making environmentally friendly decisions.

Organizations that will participate range from the Division of Wildlife to the Colorado Wilderness Network. While the event is designed to be informative, it also should be fun for both children and adults.

Fuller said the emphasis this year is on hands-on activities to make the day more interesting for all ages and fun for families.

Bunny Sings Wolf will perform folk songs about the sacredness of Mother Earth.

The message of Wolf's singing emphasizes seeing the environment as an integrated part of daily life. Fuller said Wolf's folk songs embody the meaning of the 2002 Earth Day celebration through their appreciation of nature.

Considering the importance of the land and people's connectivity to it is something organizers hope to illustrate through their activities and information.

"Raising the level of awareness is what is taking place here," Fuller said.