At the April 15th County Commissioners meeting, Kevin Overmyer, Mike Delp, and Stan Klotz approved and signed the Earth Day Proclamation proclaiming April 22 as Earth Day in Marshall County. Marshall County will be joining over 190 countries in celebrating Earth Day this year with a week’s worth of activities from April 20-26. Several organizations have come together to form the Earth Day Coalition including the Marshall County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Center at Donaldson, Earth Hug Boogie, the Health Department, the Plymouth Public Library, and the Recycle Depot.
The Marshall County Recycle Depot kicks off the week on April 20 with a paper shredding event from 8 a.m. till noon and a shoe collection event for Changing Footprints at at the Recycle Depot. The Shoe Collection will run from April 20 – May 11 during their normal business hours. Any shoes in any condition will be collected and donated to Changing Footprints or recycled through Nike Grind.
The weeklong celebrations of events begin on Earth Day April 22. The celebratory kick-off is at the Horse Barn in Centennial Park in Plymouth at noon. The Earth Day Proclamation will be read followed by a brief presentation by an Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) Groundwater Specialist. FREE rapid arsenic well water testing will be available! The water sample must come in a clean container with at least 8 ounces of water. At 1pm, students from Jefferson Elementary School will join the event by sharing a few thoughts on what Earth Day means to them. The Director of Ecological Relationships from the Center at Donaldson will lead them on a nature walk as they disperse milkweed and other wildflower seeds throughout the park.
A Residential Well Water Expo will follow on Monday evening, April 22 from 5 to 7pm at Wild Rose Moon in Downtown Plymouth. Information on how a well works, what to look for, what services are available, where to test, and much more will be available at the event. Organizations present will include Culligan Water, the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) Laboratory, ISDH Environmental Division, Rural Community Assistance Program, the Marshall County Health Department, Marshall County Soil and Water Conservation District, and IDEM. Citizens are encouraged to bring a water sample for the free rapid arsenic testing!
Other events throughout the week include a lunch and learn event, “Septic and Wells 101,” at the Marshall County Museum from 12-1pm on Friday, April 26. The Earth Hug Boogie events will be Saturday, April 27th at River Park Square from 1-5pm.
If you have any questions about any of the Earth Week celebrations, feel free to call the Health Department Educator, Jacob Baylis, at 574-935-8601.
