Eleanor Mauritzen is turning her knowledge about the environment into activism. 

The 9-year-old and several friends picked up over 10 gallons of trash along the Parkline Trail in downtown Kalispell. Next, they are planning to clean up litter at Lawrence Park. 

It’s the premise of a club she started aimed at making the environment “nice, beautiful and clean — especially clean.” 

“I feel like the Earth just needs some help,” said Mauritzen while adding magazine cutouts to a group collage at the Earth Day Expo Saturday at Flathead Valley Community College.  

Flathead Valley residents got an early start celebrating Earth Day, which is officially April 22, with the all-day exposition featuring clean energy showcases, panels and kids activities. About 400 people attended the event, and more than three dozen local businesses and organizations signed on to host booths.  

The Montana chapter of Citizen’s Climate Lobby first organized the exposition in 2023 after Angie Winter, the organization’s co-leader, said she noticed other Earth Day celebrations were being phased out. This year, the organization focused on the theme of Healthy Planet, Healthy Community. 

“It really comes down to the community,” said Winter. “We want people to have a safe space where they can come together and talk about the planet and how its impacting them personally.” 

While the event featured several panels tailored to adult audiences, Winter said she wanted participants of all ages to walk away with a better understanding of the environment.  

Russ Masse drove from Eureka with his wife and 4-year-old daughter, Isaly.  

Isaly is a “budding bird nerd” so she was particularly excited about the chance to see an exhibit from Montana Wild Wings, an organization that rehabilitates injured raptors, but the family had also enjoyed several of the expo’s other features, including facepainting, crafts and a storytelling session by Native educator Mariah Gladstone. 

“It’s pretty cool to have our kiddo exposed to this stuff,” said Masse. “It’s fun to watch her watch things. She’s such a sponge.” 

An afternoon panel featured several other budding activists from Glacier, Columbia Falls and Whitefish high schools. The students spoke about their efforts to increase awareness of climate issues within their schools and their future ambitions as scientists and community leaders. 

“When it comes down to it, I care about the environment because I want it to be a nice place to live,” said Annie Church, a sophomore at Glacier High School.  

As to what everyday citizens could do to help the environment, she suggested starting with simple changes, like opting out of plastic drink lids and straws at restaurants and attending events like the Earth Day Expo to learn more about environmental issues like climate change. 

“I think individual change comes when you start talking about things,” she said. 

While the United States does not officially recognize Earth Day as a holiday, it is widely celebrated on April 22 each year and commemorates what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement.  

Other local Earth Day events include a river cleanup organized by Flathead Rivers Alliance and Wild Montana set for April 26. For more information, visit flatheadrivers.org.  

Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at [email protected] or 758-4433.