POTTSTOWN PA – Area residents are turning the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, officially observed tomorrow (April 22, 2010), into a two-day love-in of the planet. Events are planned in Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School, at the Pottstown campus of Montgomery County Community College, among Pottsgrove School District students headed for Virginia, at the county Cooperative Extension office in Collegeville, and with a movie in Valley Forge.

Earth Day, now sponsored by the Washington D.C.-based Earth Day Network and seven civic group partners, was founded in 1970 by then U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin as a college campus “teach-in” on the need for conservation amid a growing variety of environmental problems. It has flourished annually since, and this year is expected to include 289 different, coordinated campaigns and thousands of observances nationwide.

Here’s a sampling of what’s on tap locally.

Today at Pottsgrove High School

The timing could not have been more perfect.

Whether by coincidence or design, selected students from Pottsgrove High School are scheduled to leave today on the school’s annual advanced biology class trip to Wallops Island VA. They’ll spend the next three days involved in ecological studies at the Marine Science Consortium, a residential environmental learning center and field station on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Participants themselves paid for the trip, which was authorized by Pottsgrove’s Board of School Directors.

Today at MCCC

Montgomery County Community College will host an “Earth Day Block Party” from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at its West campus, 101 College Dr., Pottstown PA, that’s free and open to the public. The event features student and faculty-created displays and activities, including carbon footprint calculations, database research tutorials, and information on composting and recycling.

Community organizations, including the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Authority, the Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area (SRHA), and Montgomery County government will also participate, providing information on the Schuylkill River Trail, public transportation, carpooling, and the county’s land development plans.

The college will also sponsor a farmer’s market with vendors selling local, organically-grown fruits and vegetables.

Thursday at Lower Pottsgrove Elementary

Students at Lower Pottsgrove will decorate and then distribute 500 grocery bags donated from Sanatoga Thriftway, 2190 E. High St., Pottstown PA, teacher Shari Costanzo reports.  The otherwise ordinary grocery bags will be decked out with Earth Day slogans and accompanying artwork that encourages shoppers to recycle rather than discard the bags. Thriftway shoppers will receive the decorated bags that afternoon and evening.

The school has conducted the same project during the past 10 years, and receives overwhelmingly positive comments, Costanzo said. “Hopefully,” she added, “someone will think twice before throwing out a student’s artwork and re-use the bag.”

Thursday in Collegeville

How does a green thumb become even greener? Montgomery County’s Master Gardeners are ready to demonstrate the variety of ways.

The gardening group’s class on “Going Green” will be held at 7 p.m. in the Maple Room of Penn State Cooperative Extension at the 4-H Center, 1015 Bridge Rd., Collegeville PA. The session, naturally, will focus on environmentally sound growing practices. The cost is $20, and advanced registration is required. For more information or to register, call 610-489-4315.

Thursday in Valley Forge

“The Revolutionary River,” a new Public Broadcasting System documentary about “the extraordinary story of the Schuylkill River” – sponsored in part by the Pottstown-based Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area – will be screened at 7 p.m. in the visitor’s center of Valley Forge National Historical Park, 1400 Outer Line Dr., King of Prussia PA. The movie is free and open to the public.

The film has yet to be televised, although negotiations are already under way to air it on PBS stations in Pennsylvania. The 47-minute production is the first of a six-part series that explores various National Heritage Areas in the eastern United States.

The same movie will be shown earlier in the day, at 11:15 a.m., in the South Hall Community Room of Montgomery County Community College in Pottstown.

Photo from dohosurf.org

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