Calling All Volunteers! Monday April 20

On Mon., Apr. 20th from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., community members are invited to join Questa Junior-Senior High School Students, Village of Questa, LEAP, US Forest Service and Taos County Solid Waste for a communitywide clean-up and beautification effort. All are invited! Let’s come together alongside thousands of other communities around the world taking action for Earth Day.

Volunteers are invited to Questa Municipal Park at 9:30 a.m. for spring cleaning and beautification. There will be trash pick-up, invasive plant species removal, tree pruning and other beautification efforts. Lunch for volunteers and students will be provided midday. Please bring a water bottle, layers for weather, hat and sun protection, and if you have them, work gloves, and yard cleaning tools; additional tools and trash clean-up supplies will be on hand as well.

Students will simultaneously participate in other Earth Day efforts; trash collection along Questa roadways supported by Taos County Solid Waste and the installation of fishing line recycling receptacles at Eagle Rock Lake supported by US Forest Service. Cleaning and beautifying our community is our goal, but equally important is staying safe, having fun, strengthening friendships, and coming together to shape the collective future vision we want for our community. The Earth Day clean-up is also in solidarity with the Village of Questa Beautification Committee.

Also in honor of Earth Day and to encourage spring cleaning, the Village of Questa will be providing roll away dumpsters for disposal of large items and deep cleaning. Join in these clean-up days for two weekends: Fri. 1-3 and Sat. 9-2 Apr. 24th and 25th and May 8th and 9th. Let’s all do our part at home too!

The first Earth Day was celebrated 56 years ago on Apr. 22, 1970. This day of education and action was created by US Senator Gaylord Nelson, to mark the importance of keeping our planet healthy and clean, and for people to renew their commitment to make positive changes in their communities. According to nelsonearthday.net, Senator Nelson suggested Apr. 22, a week day, as an ideal day to hold the teach-in, as a weekday event would mean students would be involved. On the first Earth Day, Nelson spoke to a large crowd in Denver, Colorado: “Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures.”

Today we are continuing to work towards Nelson Gaylord’s vision in Questa with students at the core of the Community Care & Connection Day event. Community Care & Connection Days are collaborative, intergenerational days of community give-back and celebration in and around Questa, initiated by LEAP and collaborators in 2021. Each gathering is an opportunity to connect with friends and make new ones, to care for and improve our public spaces and envision together what we want for our community. LEAP has been hosting collaborative Earth Day events in Questa since 2015.

This year’s effort is made possible by collaborators Questa Junior-Senior High School Honor Society, Taos County Solid Waste, LEAP, Village of Questa, US Forest Service, Localogy, and Community Volunteers. LEAP’s clean-up and beautification efforts at the Questa Park is funded by Chevron Grants for Good and the IMPACT Grant through Taos Community Foundation as well as individual donors.

We look forward to beautifying Questa with you on Monday, April 20th! Thanks to all involved for making this community effort possible.