Published on April 17th, 2008 | by Stephanie Evans

Earth Day Events

Earth Day, celebrated each April 22nd, was created as an opportunity to spread awareness of conservation issues. Since the birthday of Earth Day, the mission and its global support network have strengthened exponentially.

There is some concern that marketing efforts are shifting the focus of Earth Day from planet to purchases, yielding a day more about what you get and less about what you give.

Here are some resource links and events that keep the spotlight on the planet…

Earth Day Call to Action

This day presents an opportunity for us to gather together and learn what we can do beyond recycling, reuse, and water conservation. Challenge yourself to implement and maintain at least one new green living practice you learn this Earth Day.

Celebration or Call to Action?
Resources for Parents, Teachers, Students
Earth Day, Every Day

A Celebration or a Call to Action? How About Both!

Earth Day began as a day that linked the efforts of many environmentalists who were previously working as individual groups. Opponents of deforestation, the extinction of animals, pollution, oil spills, and more suddenly found themselves in an enormous extended family with collected resources and volunteer power.

The first Earth Day featured environmental “teach-ins,” peaceful demonstrations designed to educate the public and bring an understanding of the planet’s peril to people all over America. By 1990, 200 million people worldwide took part in Earth Day celebrations and activities, often making Earth Day their own with plans customized to each community.

Check these links for events in your community:

Envirolink’s Earth Day Calendar of Events offers a good start for finding events in many areas of the world.

The EPA’s Earth Day Page has a database of worldwide events, volunteer opportunities, and green living tips.

The Earth Day Network is an action-oriented site with a search engine that links you to events in your community.

Resources for Parents, Teachers, and Students

Check out these Earth Day resources designed specifically for:

Parents with young children. Activities and projects in honor of Earth Day:

The EPA’s Earth Day Take Home Kit includes safety tips and links to green clubs for kids.
Kaboose offers links to crafts, eco kid reads, and recipes.

Teachers. A wealth of lesson plans, activities, and other classroom ideas await you at:

The Earth Day Network’s Teacher’s Corner
TeacherPlanet
The Wilderness Society Teacher’s Lounge. Visit Links for other resources that suit classroom-age young people.

College students. It is likely that your campus or one nearby will be holding events in celebration and support of Earth Day. After all, the first Earth Day garnered a great deal of success on the 2,000 American college and university campuses that hosted environmental teach-ins.

Scan for posters, search online, or check with your Dean of Student Affairs for more information and schedules.

Earth Day, Every Day

Thanks to millions of t-shirts, bumper stickers, and enthusiastic demonstrators, Earth Day Every Day has become a bit of a cliché! Fortunately, the sentiment remains authentic because green living is an everyday event, especially in the face of pressing environmental issues that are uncomfortably relevant to our daily lives.

Thankfully, many environmentalists continue to work overtime to rally us to action and awareness. Check out these resources for more information about how you can make Earth Day an everyday accomplishment.

Visit Fundraiser Insight to learn about the Top 12 Environmental Organizations Who Use Their Donations Well and ensure that your contributions are moving in a positive direction.
Review START’s database of environmental organizations and contact those that pique a special interest for you.

No matter how you decide to pamper the planet this Earth Day, aim to learn things that you can integrate into your every day lifestyle—a small collection of simple gestures adds up to large change for the planet.