JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
The Joint Base Langley-Eustis community celebrated Earth Week April 18-22, hosting environmental awareness and beautification events across both installations.
Events included an Earth Day poster contest for elementary school students, storm drain installations and cleanings, cleanup events at Bethel Park, Fort Crafford and the Fort Eustis nature trail, tree plantings, and a carpool day, encouraging motorists to ride together to limit vehicular pollution.
According to Jon Flittner, 633d Civil Engineer Squadron Earth Week program coordinator, more than 50 volunteers removed 680 pounds of waste from Bethel Park's waterways, marked 40 storm drains and handed out 600 reusable shopping bags to carpoolers and commissary shoppers.
"Protecting the environment is a year-round responsibility, and we look forward each year on providing focus and public awareness during Earth Week," said Lt. Col. Marc Vandeveer, 633 CES commander. "We appreciate the hundreds of base and community volunteers that make it such a great success."
This year marked the 41st anniversary of Earth Day, which began in 1970 when Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson led 20 million people in the first organized demonstration for the environment. More than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries observe Earth Day annually April 22 to educate the public about earth's natural resources.