DNR Earth Day event promotes conservation

Focusing on the future

Brooklynn Fischer, a fourth-grade student from Montgomery City Elementary School, tries to keep her balance while paddling the kayak hanging just inches off the ground. Elementary school students from across the Mid-Missouri area converged on the Capitol Friday for Earth Day activities.
Brooklynn Fischer, a fourth-grade student from Montgomery City Elementary School, tries to keep her balance while paddling the kayak hanging just inches off the ground. Elementary school students from across the Mid-Missouri area converged on the Capitol Friday for Earth Day activities.

The 21st edition of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Earth Day Celebration was a showcase for the future.

Friday, youth from schools across the area came to the state Capitol grounds and went through various exhibits where they could test their knowledge of nature, make crafts from recycled materials as well as get young trees to plant at home.

"Earth Day not only showcases our work to protect the air, water and land of our state, but also getting the message out, particularly to our younger generation," said DNR Deputy Director Todd Sampsell. "That's why we do this. We want to inspire our younger generation about how they can get engaged in conservation."

Sampsell believes because of this event, and others like it, they are seeing a difference in how people think about the environment.

"The health of our air, land and water relies on a combination of smart regulations, but also working cooperatively with communities and citizens and landowners and educational outlets, and that has definitely shown that our air and water quality is improving."

Sampsell said there will always be threats and there is always more work to be done to protect the environment.

"We want to send a message to the young people that we all have a role to play," he said. "Everything we do every day, we need to think about how we can lessen our impacts on the environment - how can we conserve water, how do we plant more trees, pick up litter, recycle - all these things are things we can do every day. That will reduce the environmental problems we currently deal with."