“We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as its other creatures do,” was said by British econometric Barbara Ward. I’m not exactly sure when, but it’s one of those quotes that stands the test of time and always seems fitting to share when April 22, the official Earth Day, comes around.

Established in 1970 — coincidentally the year of my birth — Earth Day has brought together people around the world to reflect on the beauty of our planet and to consider how we can better serve her as good stewards. We can all do better by reducing, reusing, recycling, repurposing and, I can’t think of a word beginning with “r” that means pick up trash but that, too.

Tread lightly and leave as little a trace as possible. Carry in, carry home when you beach it or hike. Turn your outside lights off and enjoy the darkness of the sky and its stars. I could go on and on, but will switch gears to a little local scoop.

As part of Vineyard Conservation Society’s Islandwide Earth Day clean-up event and in collaboration with numerous other Island entities, the Island's first Earth Day Festival will be held at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum on Saturday, April 22. Our wonderful neighbor Laurisa Rich contributed a handmade beach tote created completely from collected beach treasures including shellfish growing bags and rope. It’s a work of art and whoever claims it in the raffle should be delighted.

Before you reward yourself with the afternoon party, be sure to stop by a beach to aid with annual Earth Day clean up. Bags, gloves and guidance will be offered if you show up between 10 a.m. and noon.

Caleb, Chris and Celia Slater ventured to Basin Road, where they passed time over the long weekend with Jane. They brought their newest and cutest family member, Boatswain. The little spaniel pup had a weekend of firsts. He had his first ferry ride, frolic on the shores of Vineyard Sound, snuggles from grandmother Jane, and more. I’m sure he slept well after all of that wholesome adventuring.

Westley Wlodyka, the hockey-playing and fish-catching wizard son of Jen and Lev, had every reason to celebrate this past weekend. He celebrated his golden birthday — on which the numeral of one’s age matches that of the day of the month — 16 on the 16th. Happy birthday to the kid who can now, oh my, get his learner’s permit.

My own kiddo, Brooks, who is still on the opposite side of the globe in Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia, emerged from his teens and jumped a decade to the fine age of 20, also on the 16th. Clarissa Allen also celebrated on that same day and Alicia Fenner Knight claimed another year on April 14.

Aquinnah’s Maureen Williams hopped on a jet plane and spent a bit more than six hours in the air, making her way to the city of Port Townsend, Wash. Admittedly, she doesn’t travel a whole bunch, but the west coast and her son Gregory were calling. Big trees, scenic beaches and historic Victorian charm all satisfied the sense.

She did it. Meg Athearn laced up her running shoes and made her way on foot from Hopkinton to Boston. She started out at the corner of Grove and Main, then made her way through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, to the halfway point in Wellesley, into Newton and up Commonwealth avenue’s infamous Heartbreak Hill, into Brookline, and round that final corner and the last leg on Boston’s Boylston street. Over the finish line she went and, yahoo, the crowd cheered. Congratulations, Meg.

Meg wasn’t the only Chilmarker to cross the finish line of the 127th Boston Marathon. In just shy of five hours, Don Guiney, completed his ninth marathon as his feet took him across the finish line in Boston.

Although a sprained ACL prevented him from running, 19-year old Theo Stanley, grandson of Marie and Jon Scott, was at the sidelines cheering on his MR8 teammates. They were running for and fundraising for the Martin Richard Foundation created in honor of their childhood friend who was killed 10 years ago at the Boston Marathon.

The Martin Richard Foundation invests in grassroots organizations that focus on social equity in the area of youth development, community building, and adaptive and inclusive efforts. Theo set a goal to raise $10,000 in his childhood friend’s honor. At the time of my writing he was at 92 per cent of that goal. If you’d like to help him meet his mark, givengain.com/activist/713924 is what you need to copy and paste into your browser. Theo is a student at University of Colorado Boulder and the middle child of Malia and Chris Stanley.

Mentioning Boulder just made me think of Mary and Perry Ambulos who just so happen to be out there in the Rockies, adventuring. Mary is great at sharing pictures, so many of us are living vicariously. Let me tell you: they are enjoying.