Five Things to Know About Earth Day

ONE — Earth Day was founded in 1970, as a teach-in by U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. The first Earth Day was held on April 22 of that year. Nelson chose April 22 because he thought it would maximize participation on college campuses.

TWO — In 1990, organizer Denis Hayes made it an international event, held in 141 countries. He founded the Earth Day network, which coordinates international Earth Day events in more than 180 countries. Time named Hayes “Hero of the Planet” in 1999.

THREE — The United Nations has designated April 22 as International Mother Earth Day. This was first observed in 2009.

FOUR — Locally, Earth Day is celebrated with the , which was held on April 10, and drew thousands for exhibits, workshops and activities to promote environmental stewardship.

FIVE — On April 27, Rehau will host the Loudoun Energy & Environmental Sustainability Awards, which honors students who presented environmental sustainably solutions in their entries to the 30th Annual Loudoun County Regional Science & Engineering Fair competition, held in March. This year’s winners include:

• First Place: Anson Rosenthal, Park View High School
• Second Place: Colin O’Donnell, Dominion High School
• Third Place: Jana Hertzog, Dominion High School
• Honorable Mention: Adithya Saikumar, Briar Woods High School