Letter to the Editor: Be grateful for dandelions!

(The following Letter to the Editor has been submitted by Liz Rog of Decorah):

"Last May at Phelps Park, dozens of people of all ages attended Decorah's first-ever Dandelion Fest, a play-filled celebration of the beauty and value of dandelions. It was organized by 15 young local girls as a gift to our community and a thank-you to the ever-growing number of people who allow this cheery and harmless plant to live in their yards.

There were games, storytelling, dandelion crafts, dandelion tea, a popcorn stand, a variety show with singing, tricks, juggling, and an aerial gymnastics show, and a dandelion art gallery in the band gazebo. It was an unforgettable day!

Although Dandelion Fest can't happen this spring, we can still be grateful for the yellow flowers that adorn many a yard in the town and countryside, and for the snowball seed-heads that so many of us adults can remember playing with when we were young. And we can offer gratitude to those who tend lawns that are safe for humans, plants, insects, mammals, birds, and soil.

Here's a big thank you to the creators of Dandelion Fest 2019--Elsa Johnson, Gwen Thompson, Olivia Paulson, Rose Martinsen-Burrell, Amelia Wadsworth, Nora Lesmeister, Wyndsor Awad, June Breitenbach-Dirks, Marley Hammening, Margaret Zook, Mara Branum, Sylvia and Lily Sandhorst, and Aya and Emma Hawthorn."