.gif)
Eagle Lake Remembers
Rarely could we travel anywhere in Colorado County without seeing Jackrabbits and Cottontails. Darting to and fro they leapt from under bushes and raced across the pastures. They startled our horses and amused us with their speed. They were as common as clouds and sunshine. I miss them, don’t you?
And how about the fascinating, lumbering Armadillos? We loved watching them find their holes for hiding. Now it’s as if they’ve never come out. Their designer shells are but a memory like those of the giant crawfish we would catch by hand after a rain.
The spiked horned toad was a work of art. It flattened with a single touch. Where are they now? Our Attwater Prairie Chickens, gray foxes, raccoons, and even skunks are hard to find today. No wonder we are asked to celebrate our earth and its creatures, even more today, as our technology and progress often allow us to forget our shared responsibility to the natural world around us.
Monday, April 22 will be observed as Earth Day in Texas and around the world by more than a billion people. Our natural habitats were called to attention on April 22, 1970 in the US, when the first focused Earth Day was held for teaching and learning about the earth and environments around the world. How rapidly our resources could be depleted without our shared stewardship and public concern for our future.
From that day in 1970, our public environmental concerns and education about preserving our natural resources were born. Perhaps it was the birth of the US environmental focus and the Environmental Protection Agency which has sought to guide us for 55 years. While it began in the US, over 200 countries worldwide celebrate Earth Day in cooperation for the protection of our planet. Let us join forces to protect our air, water, vegetation, wildlife, and multiple environments.
Let’s join others in celebrating the beauty and importance of our planet, and the challenge of our rapidly changing natural habitats. Progress comes with new responsibilities to value our living creatures and the earth upon which we live. Celebrate Earth Day 2024, and every day, in being aware of our stewardship in Colorado County and our world.
