KALISPELL — Hundreds gathered for an Earth Day celebration in Kalispell Saturday put on by the Flathead chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby.
This year’s theme was “Healthy Planet, Healthy Community.”
It was day of learning at Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell for the third annual Earth Day Expo highlighting sustainability and clean energy.
“So, we’ve designed it specifically to appeal to all age groups and we know kids are the future, so certainly getting the kids engaged is very important today,” said Citizens Climate Lobby Flathead Chapter Co-Leader Angie Winter.
Kids had a blast at the third annual Earth Day Expo seeing raptors up close, participating in hands-on workshops and learning about electric vehicles.
Winter said participants are encouraged to take action in protecting the beauty of northwest Montana.
“And I think for Montanans, in particular Flathead Valley residents, this is a theme that really resonates with them, so it’s no surprise to me that we’ve had a really good turnout and we’re having some great conversations about what we can all do together to preserve this beautiful area,” said Winter.
Mariah Gladstone, founder of Indigikitchen, a platform dedicated to revitalizing traditional native foods, was the keynote speaker for the event.
Gladstone also hosted a storytelling workshop and cooking demonstration.
“And I want to remind kids that even though this is ancestorial knowledge, these are things that we can incorporate every day and we can continue to learn from that ancestorial wisdom in ways that make sense for us in the modern kitchen, and in ways that kids can learn more about cooking but also more about the world around them,” said Gladstone.
Russell Masse and his 4-year-old daughter Islay traveled from Eureka to take in the event.
“One planet here so let’s take care of it right, and it’s good to get the little ones involved at a young age,” said Masse.
