Opinion: Small Actions Make Big Difference by Nancy Parker Wilson

It has been fifty-one years since the first Earth Day in 1970. At that time, the idea to bring the environment to the forefront of the U.S. political conversation was revolutionary. Today, more than fifty years later – much has been achieved on helping our environment, yet there is much work to do.

I am proud to serve as a board member for the Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District (ERICD); in April 2021, ERICD played its part in that progress by celebrating its first Earth Month. Our Earth Month saw a range of events, many inaugural, that we hope will continue to help our environment for years to come.

We received an overwhelming number of gardening tool donations to our Portsmouth AgInnovation Farm at two collection events. The tools will be used by Portsmouth students throughout the year as they learn about (and grow!) sustainable food. The farm is located on Jepson Road at Cloverbud Ranch.

Our Seedling Sale ensured that 800 seedlings were distributed and will grow into strong allies for our environment! Plants not only remove carbon dioxide from the air, but they also provide habitat for native wildlife, prevent erosion, and absorb excess stormwater.

Speaking of stormwater, we hosted sold-out rain barrel events in both Middletown and Bristol. Rain barrels collect stormwater from the gutters on your house, which helps to keep our watershed clean. Thank you to the Towns of Middletown and Bristol for site hosting and thank you to Coca Cola Beverages Northeast for providing the barrels.

Finally, our plogging (jogging while picking up trash) fundraiser ran throughout April and was a huge success. We hope everyone will keep plogging along throughout the year, not just during Earth Month.

Please keep an eye out for other events throughout the year. There is much work to be done on our community’s journey to help the environment. These events have shown that small actions make a big difference. Picking up trash, planting plants, and repurposing used items are small ways for us to make a big impact.

Nancy Parker Wilson

ERICD Board Member