Earth Day rally turns lazy Sunday into day of 'green' awareness


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SALT LAKE CITY — Sage Fuller pieced together pictures of leaves, grass, water and a school of minnows — all clipped from old magazines.

On the other side of the paper, the 8-year-old traced his hand to create a hand print collage.

Sage's sister, Oliva, 6, opted for an ocean theme, featuring a beach and a stingray.

"It's a reminder that everyone can have an effect on our Earth," said Allison Harbertson, co-owner and operator of the Creative Capsule, a mobile crafting clubhouse for both kids and adults.

On Sunday, the Creative Capsule was parked at Liberty Park to celebrate Earth Day at an event organized by HEAL Utah, a nonprofit group working toward making Utah's environment healthy and safe for all.


Crafting is such a great way to reuse and recycle. There are so many crafts you can do with egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, those kinds of things.

–- Lisa Dickman, Creative Capsule


Environmentalists and entertainers gathered at the park for the free, three-hour event to celebrate and promote all things green. Local growers were on hand selling fresh produce, while others demonstrated solar power and shared tips on recycling.

"It's been a great event," said Brenda Hattingh, who found a shady spot at the park to put on a magic show for children. She also handed out business cards for her entertainment business, Boobiliboo.

"They're printed on recycled paper," Hattingh noted.

Matt Pacenza, policy director for HEAL Utah, said the event was put together about six weeks ago when the group realized Earth Day fell on a Sunday. The group hasn't decided wither it will host another Earth Day celebration next year, he said.

"HEAL Utah isn't really a group that does these kinds of events," Pacenza said. "We're a grassroots environmental organization."

But the group recognized the connection between "celebrating the beautiful world we live in," he said, " (and) coming together and fighting to protect it."

HEAL Utah's goal Sunday, Pacenza said, was to make sure attendees were aware about local environmental battles under way — including Blue Castle Holdings' plans to locate a twin-reactor nuclear power plant in Emery County and take water from the Green River for use in the cooling process.

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But it was also about having a good time, participating in Earth-friendly activities and enjoying the sunshine on a summer-like spring afternoon.

Laura Briefer, Salt Lake City's water resources manager, attended the event with her kids, 6-year-old Amelia and 4-year-old Alex.

Both children wore painted faces — Amelia as Hello Kitty and Alex as a tiger — as they sat around a crafting table inside the Creative Capsule.

The 1963 Airstream Overlander, a vintage trailer recognizable for its rounded aluminum body style, was a hit with kids Sunday.

For nearly a year, Harbertson and business partner Lisa Dickman have been using the trailer to bring crafting parties to their customers. The trailer has been in Harbertson's family for several years.

"We're both moms," Dickman said. "We were trying to figure out something for our kids to do. We wanted our kids to be unplugged and creative. This is what came of it."

The Earth Day celebration was a perfect fit for the Creative Capsule, she said.

"Crafting is such a great way to reuse and recycle," Dickman said. "There are so many crafts you can do with egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, those kinds of things."

When children finished making their hand-print collages, Harbertson and Dickman attached tags to the projects that read: "You've got the whole world in your hands."

Sage and Oliva Fuller were proud of their work.

"It was fun," Sage said.

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