NiamhMcGarry

People celebrated Earth Day for the first time on April 22, 1970. It is a celebration that honors the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness to protect the Earth’s natural resources.

Marian’s Faith In Action Team, better known as FIAT, holds awareness
campaigns throughout the year to bring attention to different issues. This April, FIAT ran an Earth Day campaign to raise awareness on sustainability. They collaborated with the Hiking Club to go on a hike and bring attention to Earth Day.

FIAT Action Team collaborated with the Hiking Club, led by Elsa Barrett and Margaret Arbataitis, to raise awareness about Earth Day. They went on a hike at Platte River State Park on April 26 to enjoy and celebrate nature. “We have never done something like this… so it was fun to hike and see the waterfalls. We also went around and picked up any trash we saw on the hike as well,” senior and FIAT member Sienna Maiers said.

Mr. Zach Wulbert, theology teacher and FIAT leader, spoke on why FIAT decided to bring attention to Earth Day in April. They wanted to raise awareness for Earth Month because the Catholic Social Teaching is “a clear call to be more aware of our environment and how we interact with the world,” Wulburt said.

April, especially, is a special time for Earth Month because “spring time makes people more aware of the beauty of nature. So, FIAT wanted to make a point that it is important to get out and enjoy our earth,” Wulburt said.

This a reminder that protecting the environment and being sustainable is essential to upholding the Catholic Social Teaching of Care for God’s Creation. Reducing the amount of waste that is produced and being mindful of the impact it makes can make a big difference in protecting the Earth.