Make Every Day Earth Day: Greenwich Celebrates With Proclamation

GREENWICH, CT — On a picture perfect spring afternoon, members of the Greenwich community came out to celebrate Earth Day at Town Hall.

First established in 1970 as a national day to focus attention on the importance of the environment and increase awareness about protecting the planet, the day has grown across the globe with events and celebrations.

First Selectman Fred Camillo was joined by other town officials and volunteers from various local environmental groups on Friday afternoon to issue a proclamation in honor of Earth Day.

"In Greenwich, we have a lot to celebrate," Camillo said.

Camillo spoke about the strides Greenwich has made recently to protect the environment.

Over the last couple years, a blight ordinance was passed for blighted properties in town; Greenwich has added more recyclable items to the list of materials not going into the waste stream; and a textile and food scraps program was implemented.

Camillo also highlighted the town's 800 acres of open space, which continues to grow, and the brand new electric vehicle charging stations recently installed at Town Hall.

"While we're proud of where we are, we know there's still more to do. We certainly want to keep the green in Greenwich," he said.

In the proclamation, Camillo said the community needs to remain vigilant about controlling demands on drinking water supplies, reducing energy consumption, managing waste by reducing, reusing and recycling, composting, growing and eating healthy foods, and creating a sustainable, healthy environment for the future.

"I urge each and every resident to make every day Earth Day," Camillo said.

Selectwoman Lauren Rabin said the community needs to work extra hard to be more environmentally friendly.

"Anybody who has children or grandchildren, we want to leave the next generation in a better place than when we had it, and it's up to us to make that happen," she said.

Selectperson Janet Stone McGuigan agreed.

"We're here to reaffirm the values that were behind the founding of this day," she said, noting that Earth Day happened to fall on National Volunteer Appreciation Week.

Several volunteers from different town environmental groups were on hand for the proclamation ceremony, and McGuigan thanked them for their service to the town.

She encouraged residents to check out the Conservation Commission's calendar of environmental events to get involved.

Director of Environmental Affairs Patricia Sesto also thanked the town volunteers for their work.

She summed up the reason for Earth Day and why it's so important to raise awareness about our greatest resource.

"We need the earth. It sustains us from beginning to end. We need to value this resource as we do all of our resources," she said. "Think of ourselves as an integral part of the earth and Earth Day. We're not separate from it, we're very much a part of it. We need this earth so that we can survive."