Van Nuys Junior High - Earth Day April 22, 1970

earthday title 2014-08-11 at 10.58.29 AM

The First Earth Day, April 22, 1970
Student Film, Van Nuys Junior High

Editor's note: this video is still offline. Once we can get it posted at Google Drive, Dropbox, or somewhere like that, I'll link to it.


Stills from the film:

earthday guitars 2014-08-11 at 11.07.22 AM

Students were invited to bring their guitars to Earth Day and organizers provided sheet music for folk songs like Blowing in the Wind and Where Have All the Flowers Gone?.


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earthday icecream 2014-08-11 at 11.06.10 AM

Junior high kids watching other kids play guitar.


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People in the film in order of appearance:

earthday kerry 2014-08-11 at 10.49.39 AM

Kerry, one of our best friends. Her mother was one of the main organizers and promoters of the event.


earthday nori 2014-08-11 at 10.50.01 AM

That's me.


earthday jolie 2014-08-11 at 10.51.19 AM

My best friend since first grade, Jolie.


earthday camy 2014-08-11 at 10.55.38 AM

Camy, one of our best friends.


earthday guitardiana 2014-08-11 at 11.08.05 AM

Diana, the filmmaker. This was a student film she made for school credit. Then it sat in a box for about forty years, then her husband transferred it to digital for the Internet.


earthday diana 2014-08-11 at 10.54.33 AM

Diana is only seen in the guitar circle, when she handed off the camera to a gravity-challenged friend. Diana, Kerry, Jolie, and I were inseparable best friends in 1970.


earthday kerryattack1 2014-08-11 at 10.59.56 AM

Twice in the film Kerry and I try to have a duel for the camera, but both times I was too much of a whus to fight back. Ha ha. That was me, the peace and love flower child at age thirteen.

A note I wrote on this page the first time I saw the film (about 2010): "Yes! Stay in touch with your middle school friends, because you never know when history will come knocking!"

I am still friends with all these people. The last time I saw them all in one place was at Jolie's father's memorial (2011, I think). Kerry was not there, but Jolie, Camy, and Diana were there, and we had a nice reunion after the memorial. Anytime I can get together with people I have known for more than forty years is a good time.