Cascadia Day is quickly approaching and you may find yourself wondering what this day means and how you join in on celebration. Former Seattle University professor David McCloskey chose May 18th, the anniversary of the Mt. St. Helens eruption, as a day to represent Cascadia because it is a reminder that our region is continually being shaped by it's geography, geology, and inhabitants. Making May 18th a great time to celebrate and raise awareness about how we can enact positive change within our region. There many different ways to join in on the celebration -- below created a list of 5 easy ways to join thousands of your fellow Cascadians in showing support and help build Cascadia as a positive force for change in the Pacific Northwest.
1. Create or attend a local Cascadia event
A great way to participate in the Cascadia Day celebrations is to attend one of the many different community events that are being hosted throughout our bioregion and can be found on our events page. If there isn't already an event in your region or you are interested in starting your own, we encourage you to start up any event that you think represents Cascadia. A few potential ideas include block parties, potlucks, movie nights, neighborhood cleanups, barbecues, tree plantings, wine tastings, or pub nights! No matter how big or how small, getting together with your neighbors and sparking up conversations about Cascadia and enacting some form of positive change in your community is what this day is all about. If you want to start a new event or find out about events happening near you send an email to cascadiaom@gmail.com.
Busy on Cascadia Day? Not a problem. Here are just a few simple alternatives to celebrate Cascadia on busy schedule.
2. Online shoutout
Did you recently read an article on bioregionalism that you enjoyed? Do you have a photo of you reppin' Cascadia gear? Are you planning on attending an upcoming Cascadia event? If you find yourself too busy to head out to a Cascadia Day event, sharing content online that relates to Cascadia movement can be a powerful way to celebrate too! Any online platform from Facebook to Twitter or Pinterest to Email is a great way to share information or ideas to educate, spread awareness, and help expand positive bioregional action. Use or search the #May18 and #CascadiaDay to show others what you are up to or to take a look at how others have decided to celebrate too!
3. Rep any and all Cascadia gear
Whether you are covered from head to toe in blue, white, and green or simply representing the movement with a simple supporter pin, Cascadia gear is a great way to show support and to get people noticing the movement. Don't have any Cascadia gear yet? Not to worry. Our online store has a wide selection of cool merchandise available for purchase to help cultivate our resilient and inclusive movement. You can visit the here.
4. Let your Cascadia flag fly
The 18th is the perfect time to break out the Cascadia Doug Flag we all know and love so much. It was designed in 1994 by Portland native Alexander Baretich and has become a symbol for the natural beauty and inspiration that the Pacific Northwest provides and is a direct representation of our bioregion. Being a symbol that acts to unify and represent our region as whole, it is a great way to symbolize your support and spread awareness of Cascadia.
5. Get crafty!
We have seen some pretty impressive ways that many people have started think outside the box when it comes to showing their Cascadian pride. Whether it’s painting your nails to represent the Doug Flag, baking up some Cascadia shaped cookies, or having a craft day with the kiddos to create some Cascadian inspired art, all are great ways to express your supporter culture for the movement. We always love to see the ways our members creative expressions of Cascadia so if you end up posting online, be sure to tag us - we are always eager to see!