No Planet B

As Earth Day approaches we are reminded of the importance of the SMSEL

Story by Annalie Polen News Editor

Since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated on April 22nd to commemorate the birth of the modern environmental movement. 51 years later and many of the same or more environmental issues are very prevalent. South is home to the SMSEL, a 20+ acre tract of land that hosts over a hundred different species of plants and over a thousand different species of animals. The SMSEL was born before Earth Day as it was preserved by the Shawnee Mission school board in the late 1960’s. It is used as an outdoor classroom and supports the concept of Earth Day by not only teaching students but also providing a source of green space as the land around it continues to develop. It is an everyday reminder of what Earth Day expresses each year. Mr. Born, the environmental teacher and keeper of the SMSEL explains the importance of Earth day and the SMSEL.

“Hopefully Earth Day will help people understand our (humans) relationship with our environment- and our existence is absolutely dependent on other life”, Born said.

The SMSEL demonstrates this relationship with the many ecosystems found in its woods, prairie, pond, and streams. Each species in these habitats provides life for each other, reminding humans that we are also part of that cycle.

Earth Day encourages us all to recognize the impact we have on Earth and how our current actions affect the whole planet. The day was proposed by the senator at the time, Gaylord Nelson. On the first Earth Day he gave a speech in Denver, Colorado concerning the current environmental issues. In his speech he said,

“Earth Day can- and it must- lend a new urgency and a new support to solving the problems that still threaten to tear the fabric of this society… the problems of race, war, of poverty, of modern day institutions,” Nelson said.

This urgency in environmental awareness is still essential today, many years later.

“The issue is trying to keep the Earth in a position to support human life because “while we can’t destroy the earth even if we tried) we do have the ability to completely change the biosphere (life on Earth) to something that would be completely unrecognizable to us today. That change could happen very rapidly (measured in decades or centuries as opposed to millenia) and would be due primarily to our actions happening right now,” Born said. As April 22 rolls around be sure to not only find ways to help, but to enjoy the things that are benefiting the environment everyday right in our own backyard. “Hopefully earth day reminds us to do good for nature for more than just one day,” Born said.

Photo by Landrea Van Mol