So COVID-19 threw a wrench in the 50th Earth Day celebration. So what? Isn’t the spirit of climate activism adjusting our actions to best suit the needs of the planet? Marching to city hall can’t be the ONLY play in our playbook!
While it may look different, Earth Day certainly isn’t cancelled. If anything, it’s even easier to participate this year. You can still plant trees, clean up garbage, and remove invasive weeds in your neighborhood as long as you are staying safe and socially distant. However, instead of marching, simply stay home and participate digitally (no pants required!).
Whether you’re looking to partake in global livestream or a quiet activity at home, you’ll find an event that fits your needs in the list below.
Earth Day LIVE
How to participate: Visit the Earth Day LIVE website to RSVP to the livestream using your email address and zip code. The livestream will also be available on Facebook Live, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Twitch and the websites of partner organizations.
The website also has a map of local livestream events. In Washington, that includes one hour trainings with WA Youth Climate Strike and webinars from Sunrise Tacoma.
What to expect: This is the main event. The “communal three day livestream mobilization” takes place on April 22, 23 and 24 and promises a LENGTHY list of featured participants. The ones that jump out to me are Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bill McKibben, Jack Johnson, Mark Ruffalo, Questlove, Sec. John Kerry and Mary Heglar.
“Strike, divest, and vote for our future.” Here’s a quick breakdown of the events:
- April 22 (Wednesday) is dedicated to community building and storytelling.
- Thursday focuses on divestment and restructuring the economy so “that it works for people and planet, not polluters and politicians.”
- Friday focuses on political change, registering to vote, and reaching out to elected officials.
Sierra Club Celebrate Earth Month Activites
How to participate: Visit the Celebrate Earth Month homepage to create an Earth Month fundraising page, donate to others’. Find Earth Month virtual activities, including Earth Day Live mentioned above.
What to expect: Sierra Club members hosting a wide variety of online, interactive activities for all ages. Also, check out what Sierra Club members around the world are raising money and celebrating. Activities include:
- Interactive drawing with artist MasPaz on Instagram Live
- Live cooking demo on Instagram live
- Regenerative gardening workshop on Instagram Live
- Facebook Live sing along
- “Stay Home” virtual race,
- Google Earth scavenger hunt
- And more
Earth Day Initiative
How to participate: Visit Earth Day Initiative to sign up for emails for virtual events and action pledges. You can also access resources to contact congress about the Green New Deal and invite your friends, family and co-workers to join the movement.
What to expect: Virtual workshops, exhibits and speakers on April 19 (watch the replay here!). However, the main event on April 22, 23, 24 is Earth Day LIVE listed above.
The cool part about Earth Day Initiative is the Together We Can: Climate Action Campaign, which gives you the resources to set and achieve climate friendly goals for energy, food, transport, waste and nature.
Earth Day 50
How to participate: Visit earthday.org on April 22 for a stream of Earth Day Live or use the map to find a digital Earth Day event near you.
Download the Earth Challenge 2020 App to capture data for environmental scientists from the safety of your neighborhood!
What to expect: The Earth Day LIVE stream is the main event on earthday.org, but this website has great resources for education and action. We especially love the Earth Challenge 2020 App and quizzes.
Events specifically for Washington state:
- Find flowers, count widlife and plant or pollinators with the State of Washington Department of Ecology.
- Find dozens of PNW-based events on Earth Day Northwest’s calendar.
- Discover parks, participate in virtual walks, and join a book club through Green Seattle Partnership.
- Find and sign up for events via The Stranger – a beloved, independent Seattle newspaper.
Whether you choose to celebrate alone, with a small group or with the global community, use this week as a reminder that individual actions do add up. You are not alone! Your lifestyle, consumer and political actions matter are part of a global movement.
Let us know how you are celebrating Earth Day in the comments and this post using the social media icons below. Feature photo by sheri silver on Unsplash
