Outdoor Spring Cleaning and Earth Day Celebrations
Trash Talk By BETH TURNER
Tulsa Master Recyclers Association
GROUP EFFORT: People from Norman to Skiatook, from troops to church groups such as this one from Trinity Episcopal Church, joined together Feb. 27 to clean up the trails on Turkey Mountain.
BETH TURNER for GTR Newspapers
Early spring, just as the weather starts to warm before the bugs and the leaves burst onto the scene, is a great time to clean up nature.
Pickin’ Up Trash
More than 120 Turkey Mountain enthusiasts came to a February cleanup hosted by Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition. According to Media Liaison Laurie Biby, volunteers picked up trash, shored up trails, seeded grass and more.
Biby says formed from people against development of the mountain after a strip mall was proposed for the land at 61st Street and Highway 75.
Following the public outcry last year, The George Kaiser Family Foundation purchased 200 nearby acres of the area with the goal of keeping it pristine.
However, this March, The announced their purchase of 60 more acres, including the land of the proposed strip mall.
Thank you,
Please allow me this opportunity to thank The George Kaiser Family Foundation for their continuous vision for Tulsa County. Ever grateful and amazed at your generosity and thoughtful investments into enriching our community’s future, thank you.
Keep an eye on online for more clean-up days and trail information.
Nearby Nature Pick-Up
Another annual outdoor cleanup saw record numbers of volunteers. Several Tulsans joined more than 200 people at Turner Bend River Outfitters along the Mulberry River in Ozark, Arkansas. Two trailers of trash, another of metal and a celebration party that ended with only one kitchen-sized bag of waste.
A few crazy items found along the river and highways include a dozen tires, a car, thousands of beer cans, two terrariums and a pregnancy test. (It was negative).
I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to pick up trash amidst nature’s beauty. Byrd’s Adventure Center will host a fall cleanup of the area Sept. 10.
Happy Birthday, Earth!
Each April 22, we commemorate this great planet we all call home. Earth Day falls this year on a Friday, so if you want to toast to the Earth, head to a local brew pub like Prairie Artisan Ale or Marshall’s for a beer with a smaller carbon footprint.
For a more family-friendly flare, Tulsa Zoo will host Party for the Planet on Monday, April 18. Bring an old cell phone to recycle for a discount at the door.
Northeast will host EcoFest Conference and Festival March 28. If free food, live music and eco-learning doesn’t entice, just go for the scenery. That campus is beautiful.
The M.E.T. hosts Enviro Expo Saturday, April 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be downtown Tulsa on Main Street.
If getting out of the house is difficult, log on for an eco-lesson from our future leaders. Peters Elementary Green Team wrote and performed a play following lessons learned from school partner Oklahoma Green Schools. You’ll find the link on youtube.com/Union Public Schools.
Quick Eco-Tip
Here’s an easy tip for Earth Day: Choose dark colored screen savers, and use Blackle.com as your search engine online. Blackle is Google’s eco-friendly cousin. Same search engine, it just uses a black background with white lettering. The lighter the picture on your screen, the more energy it takes to display it. Plus, the darker colors are easier on your eyes.
Stay Engaged
Send in your eco celebration photo or your best eco-tip in honor of Earth Day, so that we can commemorate together. Tweet about it TrashTalkTulsa or email bethturnerme.com.
Updated 03-28-2016
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