Every day is Earth Day at the Cibolo

CIBOLO CENTER FOR CONSERVATION

The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, occurred largely because of the efforts of U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin.

Nelson’s concerns about devastating oil spills, air and water pollution, toxic waste dumps, and wildlife extinction led him to promote college campus “teach-ins” on the importance of saving the Earth. April 22 was chosen because it fell comfortably between Spring Break and final exams.

But the suggested title for the day, “Environmental College Teach-Ins,” lacked the sizzle Nelson was looking for, and he asked an advertising agency friend to suggest a better moniker.

The advertising friend considered Ecology Day, Environment Day and E Day. But he landed on “Earth Day” because April 22 happened to be his birthday, and “birthday” rhymes with “Earth Day.”

Now, 56 years after the first Earth Day, every day is Earth Day at The Cibolo Center for Conservation.

Week in and week out, we actively steward 230 acres of property to protect and preserve precious Hill Country land, water and wildlife. Our Nature Center is open from dawn to dusk seven days a week for community members to walk in the woods and prairie and along the Cibolo Creek.

We educate “Pre-K to Gray” through workshops, field trips, summer camps and pre-school to inspire care for our common home among the thousands of visitors, campers, and students to The Cibolo.

That said, we look forward to celebrating Earth Day as we did last year with the Boerne community, indeed with the wider San Antonio metro community.

Last year at this time, The Cibolo participated in the global City Nature Challenge. Tens of thousands came together in 669 cities across 62 countries, as part of a worldwide community science effort to observe, document, and identify the plant and wildlife in our communities.

Each city counted the number of observations of nature by using the iNaturalist App. The City Nature Challenge accounts for both the total number of observations of wild plants and wildlife and the number of different species.

This enormous initiative creates a global data set supporting conservation efforts throughout the world.

Proudly, through the efforts of so many, the San Antonio Metropolitan Area, which includes Kendall County, finished first in the nation and second in the world on both the number of observations and different species.

Please join us for an Earth Day Scavenger Hunt on Saturday, April 25, when The Cibolo will once again be participating in the 2026 City Nature Challenge — with the goal this year to be first in the globe. You can learn more about participating in this community science project at cibolo.org/calendar.

If you cannot join us on April 25, make every day an Earth Day in your life, too. Come visit us throughout the year as we continue to serve Boerne through our mission to promote the conservation of nature through education for Pre-K to Gray, stewardship of land, water, and wildlife, and community connections.

Our goal: To remain one of your treasured jewels.