BELFAST — On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day inspired tens of thousands of people around the US to attend "teach-ins" that raised awareness about dangers facing the environment. Laws were inadequate or altogether nonexistent in 1970. Air pollution was minimally regulated, species including bald eagles were gravely threatened, a Great Lake was carpeted with dead fish and a river had caught fire. That first Earth Day helped to refocus US policy toward protection that resulted in dramatic improvements. By the 20th anniversary in 1990, a quarter million people worldwide were honoring Earth Day and numbers grow every year because teach-ins still seem to be needed.

It is unlikely that millions will gather in Belfast on that day, but the Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition is sponsoring a hike on Friday, April 22 to help honor Earth Day's 46th anniversary. Participants will hike three miles of the new Hills to Sea Trail. When fully completed, this trail will stretch 40 miles from Unity into Belfast, offering a unique opportunity along the way to experience farm, forest, streams and small towns and to enjoy what Earth Day has helped to conserve. The hike will start at 10 a.m. at the north end of the Passy Rail Trail at City Point near Oak Hill Road and end at Route 7 at noon. People should bring water, a snack, wind and rain protection and sturdy footwear. Contact 338-1147 for more information. Binoculars will be on hand to help view birds in breeding plumage and perhaps a bald eagle soaring above. Such things are more likely these days than they were in 1970.