Earth Day Challenge, Madison, Wis. .

From April 19-26, 2003, more than 1,800 volunteers participated in Madison, Wis.'s 7th annual Earth Day Challenge. Madison residents completed 75 beautification projects, putting in 1,900 hours of work.

For the past five years, the Madison Parks Division has celebrated Earth Day, Arbor Day and the United Way's "Youth Service Day" on the same day. Youth Service Day is a countywide volunteer day designed for youth to serve their community through volunteer projects. All three events were combined to allow citizens an opportunity to join forces and clean up their city parks.

Neighborhood associations, schools, youth groups, families, seniors and individuals helped pick up trash, rake leaves, spread mulch and plant trees to beautify Madison's parks. Sixty-five parklands in Madison received a clean-up from the volunteers, which included students from three local elementary schools.

More than 300 students from Hawthorne Elementary spent the day picking up trash at their school and around the neighborhood. They helped to plant a tree with city arborists and prepare the school's garden for the new growing season. The students also performed skits and songs about Earth Day. At Warner Park, more than 300 students from Lakeview Elementary picked up trash and planted two trees with city arborists. Second-grade students from Midvale Elementary School also planted a tree with the arborists and cleaned up trash at Westmorland Park.