Robin Boles

It’s happening. We can’t stop it, and we wouldn’t if we could. Here in the Upper Midwest, sightings and conditions serve as indicators of what is to come: the first robin or red-winged blackbird, apple blossoms, mud. These are the things that tell us spring has sprung.

My indicators include the call of the sandhill cranes as they fly over, back for another season; the whisper of crimson in the crowns of the red maples; and green, green moss. Moss so green you can’t believe you’ve lived without it for the past five months, but there it grows on fallen logs and the forest floor, shocking you with its brilliance.

And in recent years, another exciting sign of spring for me has become Earth Fest, River Falls’ annual blow-out event celebrating sustainability and wellness in our community.

Not only does spring signify new life, but it also means hard work for many. Our local farmers know the signs of spring, paying close attention so they can capitalize on every moment of possible growing time. The beginning of the farming season – so dependent upon nature’s cycles – inspires hope and possibility. Hope for ideal weather conditions, and the right amount of rain at the right time: not too much to flood the fields but enough to keep things growing. The possibility of high yields and high demand and all the elements falling into place for a record-breaking year.

Unfortunately, our seasons have become less and less predictable with more extreme weather events. More and more we vacillate between a severe lack of precipitation or massive deluges that drop so much rain, they previously had earned names like 100-year storm. Now these events happen much more frequently. If our farmers and other industries and businesses that revolve around the seasons can no longer rely on normal seasonal conditions, how can they prepare to face these challenges?

Earlier this month, President Trump launched an all-out assault on the environment with multiple executive orders aimed at bolstering the fossil fuel industry and essentially halting any attempts toward renewable and alternative energy options. Executive orders like Protecting American Energy From State Overreach and Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting to Unleash American Energy.

These orders open the door for fossil fuel companies to do as they please with zero – yes zero – regulations. The word is right there in one of the orders! The regulations this order repeals represent over 100 years of legislation based on scientific learning and knowledge aimed at protecting and conserving our natural resources like those that stopped our rivers from catching fire in the 1970’s.

Not only do these orders remove regulations, but contrary to the ideology of leaving legislative power in the hands of the states, they prohibit the states from taking any climate action at all. According to one of the orders, states can no longer promote a climate-friendly agenda or legislation, nor can they pursue prosecution of fossil fuel companies for damage to the environment.

Our government has made it clear: If we are to make any difference in the fight against climate change over the next four years it will be at the local level and through our individual actions.

I am an optimist. But these orders barring environmental protections along with corporations’ wholesale abandonment of climate commitments make it hard to feel encouraged about the future.

Enter Earth Fest, the kind of event I need right now to help me feel hopeful about the state of the world. Earth Fest embodies the culmination of months of work by a dedicated group of people striving to make our community more sustainable. Regular people: our friends, neighbors, and co-workers using their free time to organize around and celebrate sustainability.

Earth Fest reflects the multi-faceted nature of sustainability. It demonstrates how sustainability can impact all aspects of our lives: how we move around, the clothes we wear, home upkeep, the food we eat. Basically, everything we do can have an impact when viewed and approached through the lens of sustainability, and Earth Fest offers it all up on a silver platter.

If you’re considering more sustainable transportation options, Earth Fest is your free opportunity to learn more. Take a shuttle ride in an EV and talk to owners about their experience, listen to a short presentation about it on the main stage, or visit one of the many informational exhibits that will be available.

You can meet over 100 local businesses and organizations doing exciting work around sustainability and learn ways to get involved. Find out what is going on right here in our community and who is building sustainability into their organizational model, so you can support their work.

A family-friendly event, Earth Fest is loaded with activities for kids and adults such as learning about our local watershed and helping build a community mosaic. Have the kids burn off some energy in the outdoor natural play area then visit the Humble Horse Ojibwe Ponies and Coco’s Heart rescue dogs before sitting down to storytime at 3 p.m.

If you like to eat, visit the food line to enjoy Seasonal Spotlight food samples. The Seasonal Spotlight initiative connects area farms and restaurants to provide locally produced dishes to our community throughout the growing season. Try a sample at Earth Fest then enjoy these local creations when they become available and featured at the participating restaurants throughout the season.

Once you’ve sampled the food, you can visit the Meet Your Farmer and Local Ag exhibit area to meet the people who will be growing the products to make those Seasonal Spotlight dishes. While there, you can meet Forager Chef Alan Bergo, purchase local honey, maple syrup, and the same eggs that went into the Earth Fest Delight Cookie from Mei Mei’s Cookies & Creamery. Talk about keeping it local!

Sustainability is also about celebrating our community and Earth Fest has plenty of entertainment lined up to do just that. Come for the 11 a.m. pre-event featuring the Smokey Town Singers Drum Circle and a color guard honoring area veterans, stay for the Trashion Show featuring repurposed attire of all varieties, then enjoy the musical offerings of the Bluegrass Festival’s Pickled Beats.  

Sustainability is not a passive endeavor. We must all take action, and you can do just that at Earth Fest by planning ahead. Bring batteries to recycle, well water to be tested, and clothing to swap. You can continue to stay active by accepting the calls to action from the exhibitors and joining the many events and conversations that are happening right here in our community.

Please join me and so many others to embrace hope at Earth Fest 2025, this Saturday, April 26, from noon to 4 p.m., with the pre-event starting at 11. Visit https://www.hopeforearth.org/earthfest for more detailed information. I can’t wait to see you there!