Earth Day and Red Deer Bridge
April 22, 2005
Provided by: Peg Zenko
Summary authors & editors: Peg Zenko
Today is the 35th Earth Day. The photo above was taken on October 3, 2004 and shows the Red Deer River and bridge at Yaha Tinda Ranch on the border of Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Yaha Tinda is cited as one of the last remaining unspoiled mountain elk habitats in Alberta, containing miles of beautiful winding horse trails. These trails have a fair amount of traffic from recreational riders and hunters, but everyone is very respectful of keeping it pristine. Our 15-mile (24 km) trek took place on an absolutely stunning day. I've never been anywhere that equals it for overall beauty, even Glacier National Park (in Montana) or Jasper National Park (also in Alberta).
In the 1960s, former U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson first proposed that there should be a designated day set aside to raise the concern about environmental issues and to consciously conserve our natural resources. The very first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. Note that while Earth Day is always on April 22, International Earth Day occurs on the day of the Vernal Equinox.
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