FL ... ^ t I H 1 ioneers Park activities cater to children n Earth Day is for everyone, but the 20th Anniversary Earth Day cele bration at Pioneers Park on Sun day was especially for the young. A full afternoon of events be gan with opening ceremonies in the Pinewood Bowl. Speakers at the ceremonies emphasized that “everything can’t be done at 1 once” when it comes to cleaning up our environment. | Speakers included Mayor Bill Harris, Sen. James Exon, Former Mayor Helen Boosalis, Biologist Dr. Paul Johnsgard and State Poet Bill Kloefkorn. Exon urged everyone to “keep up the pressure to clean up the environment.” Kloefkorn said people may not see the results of I their efforts within their lifetime, but still must think of | the state of the Earth for their children and grandchil- P dren. * P Environmental groups such as Ecology Now and L area schools are pushing to involve children early in 1 efforts to save the Earth, and children were every- 9 w here Sunday. Hundreds of sunburned children ran 1 around in Earth Day T-shirts proudly showing their gg “save-the-earth” art to parents and grandparents. 1 Games were scheduled all day so that even the •• youngest children could take an active part in Earth I I Day. | Earth Day shopping bags decorated by area grade 1 school students were handed out to hold the many fl pa m pi lieu* avdiiduii; auuui cutigy cuusci vduuii, til- | dangered species, environmentally safe products and 1 every other environmental cause. j Ecology Now sponsored an essay contest for high school students in Lincoln and the winners were honored in the opening ceremonies. Their theme was "Eaith Day is every day.” But adults swarmed the park too, avidly collecting information from the 42 exhibitors in the tents. Many showed their support by signing petitions and dis cussing issues with other environmentalists. There was great interest in the products such as “Envirobag,” a canvas bag to be used in place of grocery bags and other plastic store bags to help reduce waste in landfills. GE also had a popular product with its “Compax Energy Efficient Light Bulbs,” which last six years and use "5 percent less energy than ordinary incandescent bulbs. Other activities included ongoing nature hikes, bird banding demonstrations, Pioneers Park Prairie Hikes and tethered hot air balloon rides. There also was a temporary recycling center set up for the day. The 87-degree temperature attracted 5,000 people, accordingto Lincoln police estimates, although notall took part in the festivities. Boosalis said when she was involved in the first Earth Day celebration 20 years ago, there were only a handful of people who took initiative and lead the way for succeeding generations. -Jennifer Johnson Above: Parents and children join in on parachute games on Earth Day at Pioneers Park Sunday. Right:Mabel Ott of Chet Ager Nature Center demon strates bird band ing. --1 J mix Bands contribute time for cause DG 1 o b a 1 awareness took a me lodic turn at the Broyhill Plaza on Sat urday night as music met ecology at the Earth Day Concert. Sponsored by l'PC, KRNU (90.3 FM) and the Earth Day Coalition, four local musical acts donated their time and equipment to cele brate Earth Day 1990 and promote saving the planet. Lincoln’s C Street Gypsies took the stage first with their brand of blues-rock. As passing cyclists stopped to watch and spectators took up position around the rim of the Broyhill Fountain, several ener getic listeners danced near the doors of the Nebraska Union while the Gypsies warmed up the crowd Greetings of “Happy Earth Day" floated through the Plaza, while banners and slogans such as "Think Globally and Act Locally," and “It’s not just a day, it’s a way of life” reminded of the spirit behind the music. On a less harmonic level, spec tators repeatedly were reminded not to walk in the empty fountain. As dusk fell, the popular Omaha band The Acorns took over. Be sides old favorites like ' Yes, Vir ginia,” the band tried out new material on the crowd While listening to the groups perform, spectators could munch on such ecological treats as organi cally grown Nebraska popcorn and chocolate cookies with espresso beans from the Ecology Now con cession, supplied at a discount by Open Harvest, 2637 Randolph St. Ecology Now also provided in formation sheets on ecological is sues and newsletters for the public. Earth Day ravers also had the opportunity to sign petitions ask ing, among other things, fora more comprehensive recycling program in Lincoln, including the collection of paper and glass besides alumi num cans. After The Acorns, Brian Gerk ensmeyer kept the concert moving with a solo guitar act before the final band, Such Sweet Thunder, brought the audience dancing in the dark to the concert’s conclu sion. “Green” definitely was the mood throughout the concert, from the glow-in-the-dark neck laces of the children running through the crowd, to the metallic sheen of the dresses of the high school prom-goers making their way to the union Matters of global consequence aside, the concert was not without its problems Passing prom kings and queens got their share of heck ling from the crowd And although the mood at the concert was one of concern for the earth, only a few steps away litter spotted the parking lot Ironically, aluminum cans stuck out of a trash bin - right next to an aluminum recycling container. Despite its down notes, the Earth Day Concert ended in good feelings after 11:30 p m. w'ith the crowd dancing around the stage, and listener Jessica Logan’s hope that "Everybody, including myself, would think about it more often than one day.” WUUam RudtAph