Web sites celebrating Earth Day

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/04/2002 (8755 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Monday is Earth Day, a day canine crusader Eddy the Eco-Dog hopes to set a record for the most number of kids around the world to express how important it is to take care planet Earth.

You might remember Eddy from last Christmas. He starred in the Internet’s first ever Flash-animated holiday special for kids, Eddy the Eco-Dog’s Merry Chachachawowa.

Eddy is a creation of KidsWebTV Inc., an eight-year-old Winnipeg Web-content development company.

The company makes its money by providing innovative kids’ content to Web-enabled devices such as the Internet, cell phones, hand-held PCs and pagers.

The company’s Web site was first developed by founder Lorraine Poersch as a way to encourage children to take an interest in recycling. Eddy became her mascot to carry that message and acquired his own channel — Eddy the Eco-Dog Unleashed.

Eddy is not your average canine. Raised by intergalactic investigators from Planet Chachachawowa, this is one star-surfer pooch with an uncontrollable curiosity. Intrigued by Earth and beyond, Eddy enlists the help of Yolanda, a charismatic cougar, Rosco, a grumpy crocodile and Lixxy, a tomboy dog with a crush on Eddy, to discover and explore through a child’s eyes.

Eddy’s Earth Day Challenge invites kids around the world to show their concern for the environment by offering their writing, poetry and art on-line at www.kidswebtv.com.

On Earth Day, Eddy wants children concerned about the environment to put their names, or nicknames, on Eddy the Eco-Dog’s Earth Day Earthling Honor List.

“This unique virtual Earth Day event is a vehicle to bring the whole world together as it gives kids from all around the globe the opportunity to show others what their thoughts and hopes are for planet Earth,” said Tim Riedel, the company’s creative director.

To give kids who want to get creative the time to really express themselves, the Eddy’s challenge will run until April 30. To participate, students can become reporters for the Paws for the Planet Daily on-line newspaper, composing a poem for Eddy’s Poetry Corner, creating a drawing for the Chachachawowa Art Gallery, or colour or draw a cartoon strip featuring Eddy and his pals, Yolanda, Lixxy and Rosco.

Ten entries from each categories will have their creative work displayed on the Web site. All participants will be placed on Eddy’s Earth Day Honor List.

But Eddy isn’t the only one in Winnipeg celebrating this 32nd edition of Earth Day.

Green Kids Inc. is a Winnipeg-based children’s theatre group — the only theatre group in Canada dedicated solely to environmental education for young people.

Green Kids has a vision of “children changing the world.” Its mission is to educate children and teachers on environmental issues through live theatre in elementary and middle schools. Green Kids and the Garden City Shopping Centre have been running a contest for children to write their own environmental commercial. The winning entry airs on the A-Channel on Earth Day. Find out more about Green Kids Inc. on their Web site — www.greenkids.com.

Nicholas Horyski is an eight-year-old environmental dynamo from the north end. He is a two-time winner of the Winnipeg in Bloom gardening competition.

Nicholas recently wrote to Premier Gary Doer saying he wanted to talk to him about how the government could get more involve with environmental programs for youth. The premier agreed to a meeting with Nicholas. They will be getting together on Earth Day.

The Fort Whyte Centre is celebrating Earth Day a day early. Tomorrow is its third annual EcoAdventure — a race that supports environmental education and green commuting through paddling, running, blading and cycling on a 40-kilometres route through Winnipeg. Get details and route information at www.fortwhyte.org.

Oak Hammock Marsh is marking Earth Day today and tomorrow from noon to 4 p.m. Activities include wetlands discovery tours, eco-games, compost making and creating critters from recycled trash. Visit www.ducks.ca/OHMIC.

On Monday, the Manitoba branch of the Consumers’ Association of Canada presents an information meeting entitled Walking Softly on the Earth. Speakers will share their perspectives on what consumers can do to lessen their impact on the environment. It will be at the Franco-Manitoban Cultural Centre at 7 p.m. Admission is $3.

For details on how the rest of the world is celebrating Earth Day, visit the earthdaynetwork at www.earthday.net.

See tomorrow’s Winnipeg Free Press Sunday Magazine for some easy Earth Day tips to aid the environment.

paul.pihichyn@freepress.mb.ca