A Special Earth Day Message

I know when it’s Earth Day each year. My Mulberry tree has ripe Mulberries, usually the day before the celebration.

Yesterday I checked. Right on time. I said a quick prayer of gratitude for the berries and started picking. I had to snap a photograph for some friends who had never seen a Mulberry, it’s the photo with this blog.

We all recall the song, "Here we Go Round the Mullberry Bush so Early in the Morning” we sang as kids. Since I was in a gratitude mood, I also thanked my late husband Robert Muller for introducing me to John McConnell, who created Earth Day to honor the Earth. it was first celebrated in San Francisco on

March 21, 1970. In 1971 UN Secretary-General U Thant rang the UN Peace Bell and issued a proclamation declaring Earth Day to be annually on the spring equinox.

Here we are 50 years later, celebrating Earth Day virtually. Nature is on pause and maybe thanking us. Not driving to work or traveling has caused a huge drop in emissions. Levels of nitrogen dioxide have dropped in China and we can see the stars at night. I hope we take some of the lessons we have learned into all future Earth Days. As John believed humans have an obligation to take care of the Earth and to share its resources. This Earth Day, the Earth Flag he designed and created will be flown proudly, all around the world to show support of efforts to help our planet.