Fayette County Girl Scouts are a force to be reckoned with. Not even lingering rain and chilly winds Saturday morning at Heritage Park in Fayetteville could put a damper on the county’s first Earth Day celebration hosted by the 28 troops of Girl Scout Service Unit 616.

Commenting on what could become an annual event, organizer Joan Fecteau said the event was about family fun with an emphasis on education.

“The service unit decided it was time to bring Earth Day to the city,” Fecteau said. “It’s important to educate everyone. If people leave here with just one thought on how to make the world a better place, then we’ve done our job.”

Event keynote speaker and environmental activist Dennis Chase explained to the many youngsters on hand that the 2008 Earth Day event had its beginnings more than three decades ago. Chase explained that many of the current environmental laws were supported by those that supported the initial Earth Day movement.

“This is the 39th Earth Day to celebrate the good things that have happened and to recognize those things that need to be fixed,” Chase said. “We have to stay vigilant.”

The several hundred children and adults Saturday were treated to information and activities presented by the Girl Scouts, Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources, Atlanta Audubon Society, Southern Conservation Trust, Environmental Institute of Georgia and a host of vendors featuring products and services geared to a cleaner and healthier community.

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