Wisconsin is home to some major contributors to environmentalism and sustainability – from internationally recognized sustainable forestry practices to the founder of Earth Day. Enjoy these educational videos from PBS Wisconsin Education to celebrate Earth Day.

Chief Oshkosh

During Chief Oshkosh’s lifetime, the United States government was pushing many American Indian nations off their lands, including the Menominee. After much land had been ceded, Chief Oshkosh pushed back and worked to negotiate treaties allowing the Menominee to stay on their homeland. He also promoted his people’s traditional forest management practices, known today as sustainable forestry.

Milly Zantow

Milly Zantow took action in her Sauk County community when a landfill closed much earlier than expected. She saw too much plastic waste. At that time, no one was recycling plastics, but Milly figured it out. She came up with the idea for the numbering system to identify plastics for recycling, now used worldwide, and she helped with the writing of Wisconsin’s recycling law.

Gaylord Nelson

Every day on April 22, people are inspired to learn about and care for Earth thanks to Gaylord Nelson’s idea for Earth Day. Born and raised in Clear Lake, Wisconsin, Gaylord became a state senator, governor of Wisconsin and a United States senator. With every step he took in his career and life, he kept his eyes on the environment. He advocated for change in the halls of government, classrooms and communities to ensure a better world for us all.

Find these videos and more at pbswisconsineducation.org.