How does Pagosa Springs do Earth Day? We will answer this question shortly, but first let’s establish the date and a bit of history.
April 22 is the date on your calendar; the history, which is especially important at this particular time, began back in 1970. And, who started it? In a very real sense it was “We the people,” and a brief historical review will show just how effective “We the people” can be.
2026 will be the 56th celebration of Earth Day since 1970, when it began with a demonstration by 20 million Americans and has resulted in the passing of legislation designed to protect our planet.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species acts all came out of this effort, protections that today have been badly damaged.
In 1990, Earth Day went global with 200 million people in 141 countries participating. Today, more than 1 billion people from 192 countries participate, and the need has never been greater, especially in our own country, once the world leader in protecting the planet’s natural resources.
Now to the two community organizations highlighting this very popular and meaningful date in Pagosa. They are Southwest Organization for Sustainability (SOS) and the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership (GGP). We will consider each in turn and don’t intend to say “only” as we sincerely hope there are others.
Consider the GGP first since this organization invites the community to celebrate on the exact date, April 22, with an evening showing of environmental films at the Liberty Theater.
The Pagosa Springs Earth Day Film Fest is a Caravan of the Colorado Environmental Film Festival recently held in Golden, where a catalog of more than 50 international films was shown over three days including both shorts and feature-length stories designed to inspire, educate and encourage environmental stewardship.
The doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and the films will begin at 6 p.m.
The films selected for the showing at the Liberty Theater are: “Global Warming,” Best Feature Film; “What the River Knows,” Best Short Film; and “Chirp Talker,” Best Youth Films.
All the details about the films, times, tickets, etc., are on the GGP website, pagosagreen.org.
The GGP takes seriously its role in our community as an advocate of environmental stewardship and presents the above program as part of that function.
It is also steward of the demonstration site downtown on the river with the three domes, a role that has been costly especially this past year as significant maintenance has been accomplished after seven years of exposure to Colorado weather.
Hence, the Pagosa Springs Earth Day Film Fest assumes a second function. It is a major fundraiser for the organization. The event offers our community an opportunity to show its support for this community resource.
In addition to financial support, folks interested in a more hands-on relationship can support the GGP by participating in the actual work of the domes — education, growing and community relations. The number of students, the amount of growing, the hours open to the public are all determined by the number of volunteers. Care to investigate? Email info@pagosaspringsggp.org.
Turn now to SOS and its Earth Day Celebration, a daylong event (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) on April 26 in Centennial Park fanning out in both directions from the GGP site.
This celebration has a history going back to 2009 with some of the same people on the planning team, a measure of the dedication engendered by the event.
This year’s dedication is to the memory of two women recently passed, Jane Goodall (1934-2025) and Joanna Macy (1929–2025), who have influenced both wide and deep.
Goodall fundamentally shifted the scientific understanding of the relationship between humans and animals, initiated international programs empowering youth to take action on environmental issues, and served as the U.N. messenger of peace.
Macy is best known for creating a framework and workshop methodology designed to help people transform despair over ecological and social crises into constructive, collaborative action, focused on the intersection of ecology, psychology and spirituality, and has been widely adopted in environmental education and grassroots organizing.
This is the year everyone is asked to come out and identify as a stakeholder in the future of our planet either as a booth participant or attendee.
Individuals, organizations and businesses are invited to participate with a message and a willingness to engage visitors as they pass by. The deadline for application has been extended to Friday, April 10.
Everyone is invited to take time out to enjoy community and reflect on the meaning of a day dedicated to the Earth.
As with all nonprofits, fundraising is an issue. To help pay expenses there will be a small fee for participants ($20 for businesses, $15 for nonprofits). For more information or to sign up as a participant, email sworgsus@gmail.com. Attendees can support SOS by becoming members at the SOS table.
In addition to the booths there will be activities for everyone — young and old and in between. In the morning will be the opening ceremony with drumming, followed by yoga, the Dust2 Critical Mass Bike Ride take off and the wetland tour with the Riverwalk Naturalist Program.
Around noon will be the traditional Community Tea Gathering followed by solar car races and kite flying. The GGP Education Dome will be open all day with its beds full of vegetables and pollinator flowers, and there will be more drumming to close the day.
Big news about food and music: A variety of different local musicians will be in the amphitheater on the hour all afternoon, and food vendors will be on-site.
The event planners have issued a call to all local musicians — there are still open spots — and to “artsy” persons to help organize and officiate a Youth Chalk Art Contest. Interested? Email sworgsos@gmail.com.
Be sure to add those dates to your April calendar: April 22 for films and April 26 for a community day in the park.
April is the time of Earth’s awakening, and these two organizations help us focus attention on our role as stakeholders in its future — and ours.
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