Every year, on April 22, people around the country partake in Earth Day, an event meant to garner support for environmental protection. The day first became a celebrated holiday in 1970 and has been an annual reminder of the beauty of the planet ever since. 

“As a member of the orchestra, I celebrate Earth Day every year. We always crown an Earth Queen. Granted, it has less to do with Earth Day and more to do with having fun, but I still try to recognize the importance of Earth Day’s message not only on Earth Day, but also everyday. We only have one planet, and we have to do our part to make sure that we can keep it for as long as possible,” Junior Ava Campman says. 

To celebrate Earth Day, Campman will be participating in the THS orchestra’s Earth Queen elections, which occurs every year around April 22. Orchestra students interested in being crowned Earth Queen must make campaigns, hold debates and participate in a final vote. Afterwards, there will be a coronation ceremony where the new Queen will be crowned. 

The Earth Queen celebration is not only a fun way to get students involved, but also allows all those involved to bring awareness to environmental issues. 

Campman will also be participating in the Great American Cleanup at Mingo Creek Park this year. The Cleanup is a national initiative that runs from March through June every year. Mingo does their part on April 22, so interested students should feel free to stop by that day in order to help clean up the park! 

In addition, WashPA Outdoors also offers volunteer services, where participants can help in creating firefly gardens. WashPA Outdoors can be found on Instagram or on their website; washpaoutdoors.wixsite.com/washpa.

However, students do not have to look elsewhere to make a difference. They can help to improve the environment by focusing on themselves in their daily lives as well. 

“Students can be more environmentally friendly by saving energy – such as turning off lights. They can also try and use reusable bags and package materials,” Sophomore Caroline Miller comments. 

Miller enjoys spending time outside and enjoys Earth Day because it teaches others to live more sustainably.

Students can help the environment little by little; not everything has to be a grand gesture. Small things, such as buying products in paper packaging instead of plastic, can go a long way into improving the planet’s environment. Paper is much more biodegradable than plastic, making it a healthier option that can reduce one’s carbon footprint.  

Supporting local businesses can also cut down on the amount of plastic normally used in shipping products to buyers and reduce carbon emissions. 

Also, natural deodorant and bamboo toothbrushes can be found in large retail stores and are more environmentally friendly than their more common counterparts. Single use products, such as towels, napkins and plastic can be replaced with cloth and tupperware, for those who want to help reduce waste. 

Both Campman and Miller are taking AP Environmental Science this year and credit that class for teaching them about their environment. Both students enjoy their teacher, Mrs. Monteleone, and believe that she does a good job at explaining how everything on the planet is interconnected. The smallest piece of litter can directly impact an animal’s ecosystem and have a ripple effect on the world around it. 

There are many different aspects of Environmental Science as it is an incredibly diverse field that can have long lasting, positive impacts on the Earth. 

Environmental studies at Trinity do not only have to be confined to Environmental Science class. 

“One thing that’s always stood out to me was our use of styrofoam trays. While real dishes or reusable trays for the school would be an investment, it would certainly be worthwhile. We would occasionally have to replace broken dishes, but most of them would last for years [compared to the number of trays that the cafeteria goes through everyday]. And, washing the dishes could be a volunteer opportunity for students,” Campman says. 

Miller also pointed out that incorporating more solar panels into the school could have a healthy effect on the environment, due to the fact that Trinity would be using more renewable energy to power the school. 

Earth Day is an opportunity to explore new educational opportunities and ways to improve the environment. Environmental Science is becoming increasingly important in modern society and is helping students to recognize that they have the ability to improve the world around them. 

While one person, or one small group cannot change everything all by themselves, that doesn’t mean that individual efforts are not worth it. Getting a small start is better than not starting at all and can help to make a difference, which is what all environmentalists strive to do. 

While one person or one small group can’t change everything by themselves, doing something is better than doing nothing at all and can help to truly make a difference in the world.