MADISON – Fourth-graders in the Eco-Kids group at Horizon Elementary School scheduled a series of sessions for their observance of Earth Day.

Earth Day was observed first on April 22, 1970. An estimated 20 million Americans took active steps to start and advocate a healthy environment.

Eco-Kids take the lead at Horizon in establishing and maintaining a sound environment on the school campus. These students coordinate efforts for recycling, tree planting, campus cleanup, gardening, using the outdoor classroom and mentoring younger students.

Horizon Gifted Specialist Elizabeth Bero sponsors the Eco-Kids.

For Earth Day, the Eco-Kids mentored kindergartners and first-graders at Horizon on several environmental topics on May 9. Bero’s class planned the event, secured permission from Principal Rodney Richardson and sent invitations to Horizon teachers.

“Each child planned and researched his/her presentation, created materials and handouts and practiced the lessons on the group in preparation,” Bero said. Class leaders with Eco-Kids are Hayden Chance, Jack Revera, Lucy Phillips, Martin Serafin, Sam Jackson, Patrick Bruce, Landon Pierce, Madeline Nixon, Allie Perkins and Mason Truesdail.

In the butterfly garden, Abbie Blount, Adeline and Caleb presented a lesson about sunflowers and then had kindergartners and first-graders plant seeds to create a ‘Sunflower House’ for next fall. Emma Roap and Raivyn Ivy gave a program about snakes.

Harlee Buckner, Cohen Yates and Edison Bordelon coordinated a camouflage hike along the outdoor classroom trail. Also along the trail, Caroline Kokan and O’Neal Miller led a scavenger hunt. Trey Schiber and Luke Allen presented facts about rocks.

Finn Koehler and Autumn Sales created a game called “Recycling is Fun.” Caroline Sterling and Kaden Rickard discussed facts about vegetable gardening. In the outdoor classroom, Faith McCaig and Natalie Jackson led an art session.

Earth Day activism led to the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species acts. Twenty years after the first observance, Earth Day spread around the world, activating 200 million people in 141 countries and taking environmental issues onto the world stage.