Earth Day is Nearly Here
Earth Day is nearly here. This year's recognition is the 50th anniversary.  We know that for many of our regular program attendees and supporters, that every day is Earth Day. 
 
As the 50th anniversary of Earth Day approaches, we encourage you to reflect on why you have become connected to organizations like the ERC. What drives you to be a steward? We find that reflecting on why we do this work often provides us the strength and hope to continue on.  Care to share what inspires you? We would love to hear. 
 
Typically around Earth Day the ERC is bustling with multiple programs daily and prepping for Clean Sweep on the first Saturday in May. Our commitment to the environment remains strong and we look forward to the day when we can all join together in celebration.  While we cannot provide programs in person this spring, we are doing our best to adapt to the changing times and provide virtual ways to improve environmental awareness and stewardship for children and adults. Enjoy this week's suggestions below. 
 
 
~ Alisa McGowan, ERC Program Director  




Spring Science Series 

This week of the Spring Science Series we are featuring Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (CRMO). Rangers from CRMO are long-time presenters in the Spring Science Series. Although, Rangers can not visit in-person, this shouldn't stop us from learning more about this incredible nearby landscape. 

CRMO has many fascinating videos on their website and YouTube channel to inspire you and prepare you for your next CRMO visit. 
Who Goes There?

The critters beat us to first tracks one morning this week! The light dusting of snow made for incredible animal tracking. We saw tracks from over a half-dozen species along the Harriman Trail. We saw tracks from squirrels, snowshoe hare, moose, marten, mouse, voles, and fox. It made us look forward to next year's tracking workshops with Ann Christensen. 

Whose tracks are pictured? Clue: note the size of the tracks next to the adult sized gloves. 

Do you want copies of your own tracking mysteries to solve at home? Respond to this e-mail and we'll send you two! 


Why Pick Up the Poop?
We're throwing it back to last year's  Wow Students Senior Day with Wood River High School Seniors helped the ERC pick up 500 individual piles of dog waste at the Quigley trailhead. They placed flags where each one was to signify to the community how much dog waste people are leaving behind.

Why should I pick up after my pet? Dog waste contains high amounts of nutrients, including phosphorus and nitrogen, in part due to the concentration of nutrients in pe t food. Large amounts of nutrients can lead to harmful algal blooms. V isit our website for more reasons why. 

At home with students? You can build paper mountains to demonstrate watershed dynamics. Crumple paper, add the rivers at the low points of your mountain, add some dog poop dots and spray with water. Were your rivers in the correct spot? Did the dog waste absorb and run off?

Are You a Teacher or Educator?

We have been busy adapting some of our popular Growing Great Minds programs (in-school education programs) to a virtual format. W e are currently wo rking to create content based on upcoming programs that we had already booked. Please let us know if you would like us to prioritize any topics or if you would like to be added to a distribution list. 

Community Corner: Save the Dates! 

The North Valley Climate Action Coalition and the Hailey Climate Action Coalition are hosting Five Evenings of Online Events to celebrate Earth Week 2020. Join them starting this Monday, April 20th for an online film festival with local discussion groups, and for a community-wide "Students for Students" livestream on Friday, April 24th. Check their website for more details.


Environmental Resource Center
PO Box 819
Ketchum ID 83340

Visit us at:
471 Washington Avenue
Ketchum ID 83340

208.726.4333
Facebook and Instagram: @ERCSunValley