Two-year-olds Case Stafford and Brooklyn Ryan help plant a tree for Earth Day on April 22.

Members of various Chickasaw Nation organizations did their parts to be “green” in preparation for Earth Day, April 22. The Chickasaw Nation Division of Housing and Tribal Development took part in the 1st Annual Reuse-A-Shoe recycling effort.

Representatives set up booths at the Children’s Fair on April 19 and at East Central University’s Earth Day event on April 22 in an effort to collect unwanted shoes.

These shoes can be recycled and made into new material used for baseball, football and soccer fields, basketball and tennis courts, playgrounds, running tracks, weight room flooring and padding under hardwood basketball floors.

There were also containers designated for shoes at the Ada Recycling Center and the Ada Agri-Plex parking lot. Participating senior sites hosted a shoe-collecting contest. The Duncan senior site was the top collector, contributing 108 pairs of shoes.

The Chickasaw Nation’s Child Care and Head Start programs also recognized Earth Day on April 22 by planting trees in front of the Child Development Center. The children planted two trees and discussed the importance of trees in providing oxygen to the world.

With the Child Care Center decorated with Earth Day posters and recycling information, the children also learned about recycling and took a field trip to the Ada recycling center.