Happy Earth Day! Here’s what you should know about today:
What is it? An international celebration of the importance of protecting and bettering the globe. This year, the theme for Earth Day is “Environmental & Climate Literacy.” The goal is to make sure that by 2020, students graduating high school are climate and environment literate.
When did it start? Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970, proposed by Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. He wanted to host a nationwide event that would help educate citizens on the environment and its importance.
Why today? April 22 was chosen because the first Earth Day was designed as a teach-in, and this date fell between spring break and finals for most college students. Earth Day went global in 1990.
What is this Science March? Today scientists and science lovers are marching in Washington,D.C. and in 610 satellite marchers around the world. They are marching in to defend the vital role science plays in our health, safety, economies, and governments. Learn more about the March for Science here.
How can my family celebrate Earth Day? Here are a few links to activities you all can do in celebration of Earth Day:
Have a Preschooler? Try the activities from Parents.org found here.
You can find suggestions from Scholastic here.
Earth day crafts for kids from PBS Parents can be found here.
I’m not up for anything major, what else can we do? Take a walk in your neighborhood with your children. If you can walk through anywhere green, do so and admire the work of Mother Nature– it is pretty spectacular, when you think about it. Pick up a piece of trash along the way and throw it away. Talk about recycling: is your family following your local rules, how could you do better? Are there any old clothes that you can give away?
We need to encourage our children to respect science and our environment. Earth Day is a good time to start, but we should focus on this beyond today. Everyday can be a celebration of Earth Day!!