First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day demonstrates support for environmental protection. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and individuals worldwide will come together to focus on this year’s theme of climate change. According to Earth Day Network, “Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable.”
These past few weeks have presented us with a new reality as the global pandemic, COVID-19 spreads rapidly. Although many traditional festivities have been canceled, altered, or rescheduled due to social distancing protocols, there are still ways to celebrate Earth Day 2020. We’ve partnered with the Green Reps to provide a few suggestions on how to honor the planet and contribute to Earth Day while maintaining social distance.
NASA Earth Day Countdown
The countdown to Earth Day 2020 is underway at NASA. Explore the unique view of our planet from space and visit the countdown blog which displays new and historic views of Earth from outer space. The site also includes information about wind turbines, climate monitoring, photos of Earth taken by astronauts, the women of NASA’s earth science division, and more.
Online Earth Week Summit
The Green Team Academy has sponsored a free Online Earth Week Summit on April 10-18 where like-minded individuals can participate in two-hour workshops. Feel free to join a session or a daily Zoom happy hour. Register for free.
Ecochallenge.org
Ecochallenge.org encourages everyone to commemorate Earth Day by signing up for challenges that work toward the organization’s six shared change goals:
- Sustainable living
- Healthy food systems
- Deep equity
- Living water
- Balanced climate
- Mindful consumption
Learn more about the Earth Day ecochallenge, which runs April 1–30.
Farmer’s Almanac
The Farmer’s Almanac provides several activities that you can do in honor of Earth Day. Some examples include planting wildflowers and native plants, which will invite bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to your gardens. Check out this list for more activities and ideas.
Digital Mobilization
The global organizer of Earth Day, Earth Day Network, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with the first-ever Digital Earth Day to address the most urgent threats to people and the planet. The global conversation will be unified and tracked virtually by the shared hashtags #EarthDay2020 and #EARTHRISE. Other digital events will include virtual protests, social media campaigns, online teach-ins, and more. More details about the various events can be found at earthday.org.
Take the #MyWildLife Challenge
The National Wildlife Federation is inviting you to take the #MyWildLife Challenge by posting photos of wild life. Celebrate wildlife and the great outdoors by sharing pictures between April 1 and April 30. Upload photos and videos of you and your family enjoying nature in the places you love the most using hashtag #MyWildLife. Winners will be chosen at random to receive an outdoor adventure prize pack.
Become a Green Rep
Are you a University of Rochester employee who cares about sustainability? Become a Green Rep! You’ll receive The Compost, a monthly e-newsletter which features tips, tools, and resources to help you and your co-workers go green. Visit this page for more information about the Green Reps program and sign up to receive the Compost each month.
Pledge Your Support
The Go Green Pledge encourages people to adopt environmentally friendly behaviors. The pledge is available to anyone associated with the University of Rochester, including students, faculty or staff members, and even community members. Participants can select any number of actions, from simple things like turning off the lights when leaving a room, to taking public transportation at least once a week.
Regardless of how you choose to spend your day, we wish you a safe and healthy Earth Day 2020.
Written by Emily Su, Class of 2022
Earth Day serves as a reminder that the planet and its ecosystems give us life and sustenance, as well as an opportunity to raise awareness of the problems that affect the planet and the different life forms that inhabit it.
Thank you very much for this great post
Very amazing article, Thanks.
Thanks for sharing all these ways to participate in Earth Day while practicing social distancing.