Nominations for Greater New Bedford’s Mother Earth and Father Ocean Sought for Earth Eve Celebration.

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The Greater New Bedford Earth Day Committee is looking for this year’s Mother Earth and Father Ocean. Do you know someone who has demonstrated stewardship towards our natural environment worthy of recognition? Do you know someone who in their daily life honors and respects the earth in a way you find admirable? If the answer is yes, nominate that person to be crowned this year’s Mother Earth or Father Ocean.

Mother Earth and Father Ocean 2008 will be crowned at the “Earth Eve’’ Celebration Thursday, April 10, 2007 as part of AHA! Night and asked to lead the Earth Eve procession of eco-floats through the historic downtown district of New Bedford. Dedicated to being earth friendly, marchers will move their eco-float creations along the procession route using a variety of power modes but are forbidden to use fossil fuels and they must remember the three R’s of recycling– reduce, reuse and recycle. The New Bedford High School Band will kick off the event from Custom House Square in downtown New Bedford at 5:30 p.m. To participate in the procession you may download a registration form from http://www.seeal.org/.

Last year’s nominations resulted in the crowning of Lynn Coish and former Mayor of New Bedford John Bullard. Lynn's passion for cleaning up litter and educating others on the importance of keeping our neighborhoods clean led to the creation of a citizen's anti-litter campaign called Operation Clean Sweep. John’s long term committment to Environmental notably include: assisting fishing families throughout the country as Head of the first federal office of Sustainable Development, Promoter of Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth and Current President of Sea Education Association

Previous awardees include: Louise and Paul Anthony from Mattapoisett, a couple with a long record of outstanding environmental stewardship ranging from trail maintenance with the Appalachian Mountain Club to teaching on New Bedford’s own Schooner Ernestina Mary Barros, longtime Community Activist from New Bedford, Bob Rocha, Environmental Educator from Acushnet, Emily Johns Community Gardener from New Bedford and Jim Simmons of New Bedford the former Director of Hands Across the River who sadly passed away 2006. To nominate someone please tell us in 50 words or less why you believe your candidate should be crowned 2008 Mother Earth or Father Ocean of Greater New Bedford. Send nominations in care of Deirdre Healy, Community Service Coordinator, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 02747 or simply email to dhealy@umassd.edu. Nominations will be received until April 1st.

For Immediate Release 3/10/08
Contact: Deirdre Healy, 508-999-8641
Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance