The Durant Sustainability Coalition’s annual Earth Day Festival last Saturday was a success with many people attending the event that was held at Dixon Durant (Rocket) Park.
Jeremy Spence, DSC board chair, credited the good weather as a factor.
“We’ve been able to have a really great turnout because it hasn’t been like a deluge of rain and that’s been amazing,” Spence said, the morning of the festival. “We were a little touch and go this morning, but everything’s really fired off amazing. The weather’s been great and the people have just been pouring out all morning long. Even before we opened up, people were here at 8 o’clock in the morning ready to start having fun and a good time.”
The festival had several speakers, including Kathy Jackson, senior trainer for KidWind energy.
“It’s a project specifically to tell younger people, educate younger people about renewable energy today and tomorrow, and that’s great education to have for adults as well,” Spence said.
Another speaker was Dr. Ian Thompson, who Spence described as a local legend.
“He’s done some very signifi cant things on behalf of the environment within the Choctaw Nation and just southeast Oklahoma,” Spence said. “He’s going to be talking about prairie grasses and the relevance, like why that should mean something to somebody here in our area. It is quite impactful and then Lucile Morehouse, our young superstar.”
Morehouse is from Boswell, and she has a 4-H project to help pollinators.
“She’s going to be talking about why pollinators are important, how to take care of your yard, how to take care of your environment so that we can create these havens and spaces for these really important elements within our bigger ecosystem,” Spence said. “That’s just great. You can’t ask for better speakers than that to give a little education while you’re having fun and a great day in the park.”
Spence was excited about the turnout for the festival.
“I can’t tell you how beautiful it is to see here,” Spence said. “There is every socioeconomic class up and down the ladder that’s represented here today. All walks of life, all corners of the town are all coming out and having a good time and that’s what’s nice about celebrating in this manner. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, we’ve got a place for you to come and learn and have a good time.”
