Last-Minute Enthusiasm Provides a Spark for ’91 Earth Day

Last year, it was The Event. A national campaign to celebrate Earth Day’s 20th anniversary crystallized environmental sentiment across the country, and in sunny San Diego the list of local events took several trees’ worth of paper to print.

This year, there has been no national call to action. The recession has slowed local corporate fund-raising, causing San Diego Earth Day organizers to scale down their already modest budget. At first, it seemed the mere memory of 1990’s action-packed EarthFair might eclipse E-Day 1991.

Not anymore. Especially in recent weeks, a surge of interest and a flood of eager volunteers has breathed life into this year’s celebration of the planet. Today, on the eve of a daylong eco-festival in Balboa Park, organizers are giddy with the knowledge that grass-roots involvement will make San Diego Earth Day one of the nation’s biggest celebrations.

“It’s in the Top 10, definitely,” said Denise Gaumer, press secretary for Earth Day USA, an information network formed to help cities organize local events in the absence of a national promotion drive. “This is local people getting out there and . . . creating the excitement, the energy and the information necessary to make people make lifestyle changes. And (San Diego) has done it.”

Officially, Earth Day 1991 is Monday. But there are some events today, including an Earth Day on the Bay exhibition and jazz concert at the Old Ferry Landing in Coronado (from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.). And Sunday’s EarthFair in Balboa Park includes literally hundreds of speakers, performances and educational booths--all of them focused on what the promotional literature calls the VIP, or Very Important Planet.

The EarthFair, which drew more than 75,000 people last year, begins at 10 a.m. with an opening address by State Sen. Lucy Killea (D-San Diego) and the raising of a global flag over the park. By the time it wraps up at 5 p.m., organizers hope those who attend will have learned at least a little something about recycling, biodegradables, composting and insulating, to mention just a few recurring eco-conscious themes.

Among Sunday’s highlights will be more than 200 display booths. If they resemble those that assembled last year, visitors can expect to learn about (and in some cases to be encouraged to buy) everything from alternative energy and water-saving devices to hologram earth watches.

There will be plenty of live performances as well, with round-the-clock concerts and theater presentations on five stages. And the food? Suffice it to say that Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and something called “Cheap Healthy Eats” are among the exhibitors. No one is expected to go hungry.

Those in the mood for an instructive nature walk can head for Zorro Gardens, next to Casa de Balboa, where park ranger Dan Bylin will lead two one-hour hikes. At 1 p.m. is the “Oaks and Indians Walk” designed for children; at 3 p.m., is a walk featuring desert plants is open to all ages.

For gardeners, meanwhile, a demonstration of water-saving xeriscaping techniques will be presented near the Museum of Art. At the Pan-American Plaza, another exhibit will explore the joys of composting. And visitors in the market for mulch will be able to make off with as many bags as they can carry--all free, thanks to the County Department of Public Works Solid Waste Division.

Organizers say that, although they are thrilled with the number of volunteers who have donated their time to help with Sunday’s fete, there’s still plenty of work to go around. People who want to pitch in can present themselves at any information booth Sunday, or simply lend a hand at day’s end with the biggest and most ecological job of the day: post-party cleanup.

Meanwhile, San Diegans who want to avoid the crowds and celebrate nature by getting their hands muddy can celebrate Earth Day by planting a few trees. Volunteers are needed today and Sunday to plant thousands of willows, cottonwoods and sycamores along 6 miles of Pine Creek in the Cleveland National Forest.

The two-day event, organized by the Public Lands Restoration Task Force, is intended to begin restoration of the Pine Creek Wilderness, one of San Diego’s critical municipal watersheds. Interested volunteers are asked to meet at 8 a.m. on both days on Lyons Valley Road, 1 mile south of Japatul Road, and to bring a lunch and water. More information can be had by calling Matthew Adams at 1-800-654-0364.