A few years ago, the first Earth Day in Mt. Lebanon took place on the front lawn of the Sunnyhill Unitarian Church. While the event was not tied to the church, some of the first EDML committee members happened to belong to the Unitarian Church and had obtained permission to use the church and its grounds for a Saturday celebration. Although it was a lovely location, we wanted to grow the event and increase its visibility. Since then, we began to celebrate in Mt. Lebanon Park, by the Recreation Center.

Even though I co-chaired the event for five years, the real lynchpin of the operation was Beth Hedin. Beth was the visionary who recruited booth after booth of clubs, farmers, non-profits and vendors, and then figured out how to fit them onto our hilly space. The number of booths and activities continues to grow and the attendance is nothing short of spectacular.

Last year was my first year completely removed from the planning process. The Mt. Lebanon Environmental Team is doing a terrific job of managing the event, making it bigger and better than ever. In addition to the food, vendors, crafts, and earthy information, 2013 featured lively music performed by local talent, climbing walls for the kids, and a Tesla on display for the big kids. I was so proud to have been a part of something that has become part of the fabric of Mt. Lebanon.

Join your friends, family and neighbors again this year for Earth Day in Mt. Lebanon on Saturday, April 26. To find out more, check out their website: http://www.earthdaymtlebanon.org