Service members and civilians, assigned and deployed to Commander, U.S. Naval Activities (COMNAVACT) Spain, dedicated their time participating in "green" events for Earth Day 2015.

Capt. Greg Pekari, NAVSTA Rota commanding officer, Command Master Chief Delbert Terrell, and members of the NAVSTA environmental department, planted a tree signaling the culmination of a mitigation commitment for an on-going construction project.

"Roughly 50 trees had to be cut down for the construction of the new air terminal and by Spanish law, we are required to replace trees at a 3-to-1 ratio," said Tim Uplinger, NAVSTA environmental conservation manager. "This week alone, we planted 156 trees at Liberty Sports Park as part of this project."

Another event, spearheaded by Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 11, deployed to Rota, service members spent two hours removing numerous bags of debris from Admiral's Beach.

Earth Day is celebrated each year on April 22 throughout Navy and Marine Corps commands across the globe. Earth Day activities are an opportunity to build relationships across the command, different government agencies, and the local communities where we live and work.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of Earth Day. Former U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin founded Earth Day in April 1970 to promote community engagement and practices of environmental stewardship around the world.

Earth fairs, recycling contests, 5K runs, and beach and neighborhood clean-ups are some of the more common activities Navy and Marine Corps commands have hosted or participated in for Earth Day over the past four decades. Energy saving actions, such as swapping out old incandescent light bulbs for high efficiency compact florescent bulbs, shutting off unnecessary lights, and insulating around doors and windows are also practical ideas that match the spirit of Earth Day to make us more sustainable, and ultimately support the mission more efficiently.

In a memorandum dated March 16 from Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, he urges participation in the various activities taking place for Earth Day 2015.

"Just as the citizens in 1970 were concerned for the future of the environment, today we plan a sustainable future for the Department of the Navy to accomplish its mission in a resource constrained world," said Mabus. "So we make an extra effort on and around April 22nd, to contribute to a better, sustainable environment, for our Sailors, Marines, and civilians."

For more information and resources regarding the Navy's Earth Day activities, visit http://greenfleet.dodlive.mil/environment/earth-day/

For more news from Naval Station Rota, Spain, visit www.navy.mil/.