9 Activities & Events for Celebrating Earth Day at Home

So, Earth Day is this week, and it TOTALLY sneaked up on me. I realized yesterday, that I didn’t have anything planned. So I thought I’d look up local events…and then I remembered that we can’t really get out and do things as a group right now because: Pandemic. That got me wondering how we could all still celebrate Earth Day, while staying confined to our own little corners of the globe.

I started by looking up the Earth Day 2020 theme, which happens to be Climate Action. That got some wheels turning. I also journeyed to several corners of the interwebs in search of virtual celebrations.

Anyway, I don’t know about you, but I get annoyed when I go to a “So Many Ways to do Whatever” post and you have to get through 12 paragraphs of crap you couldn’t possibly care less about before you get to the list. In the hopes that I can avoid getting on your last nerve, I’ll just get to it then.

9 Earth Day Activities and Online Events:

1. Write Letters/Emails to Local Government Officials to Advocate for Greening Projects - Tell city and state officials that you would like them to support things like Wind Power, Installing Solar Panels on city buildings such as Libraries or the city’s Public Market (Albuquerque, NM has a fully solar powered Public Market!), allowing front yard vegetable gardens (which are actually illegal in some cities), Community Gardens, or any other ideas you have for making your local community more sustainable. Find your Senator’s contact info here: Senators of the 117^th Congress

2. Create a Certified Wildlife Habitat in Your Yard - The National Wildlife Federation will certify your habitat if it meets their minimum requirements. To qualify your habitat must: Provide at Least 3 Sources of Food, Provide at Least 1 Source of Water, Provide at Least 2 Sources of Cover, Provide 2 Places in which Wildlife Can Raise Their Young, and Maintain Your Yard using Sustainable Practices. To get certified, just go to the website, fill out their form and pay the $20 fee (which directly supports their programs to protect wildlife and its habitat.  National Wildlife Federation

3. Celebrate Earth Day NASA Style - The remarkable peeps at Nasa have put together a ridiculous amount of resources for celebrating Earth Day at Home so that we can “collectively appreciate the wondrous beauty of our planet” while still keeping our behinds physically away from others. Check out their virtual swag here: NASA’s Earth Day 2020: 50^th Anniversary Toolkit

***UDATED LINK TO NASA's 2021 Earth Day Toolkit: 

https://www.nasa.gov/content/earth-day-2021-toolkit

4. Attend “Earth Day 50th Anniversary Special: From Climate Action to a Better Earth” - This is a free 1 hour online event via Google Hangouts. Its purpose is to explain what climate action is, and how everyone, including you, can participate to build a cleaner future. Click to RSVP: 4/22/2020 12:00 pm EDT

5.  Let a Zoo Bring “Earth Day to You” - The Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY is bringing Earth Day celebrations directly to you via their website! They will be live on 4/22/2020 from Noon to 4:00 pm EDT in order for you to, as they state on the web: “Learn all about environmental sustainability and the individual actions you can take to make a difference through virtual animal experiences, live discussions with local experts, an inside look at the Zoo’s conservation programming, and more.” Check out the schedule here: Seneca Park Zoo

**UPDATED LINK FOR 2021 ZOO EVENTS: https://senecaparkzoo.org/event/earth-day-2021/ 

6. Attend an Environmental Sustainability Discussion on Instagram - Two students at SUNY Brockport will lead an informal discussion, called a Table Talk, for the attendees. The pair picked a current community issue to discuss, the current climate situation and what we can all do today! These students will be presenting on the SUNY Brockport's Community Development Instagram account (@brockportcomdev). Check them out on Instagram 4/22/2020 at 11:00 am EDT: SUNY Brockport Table Talk

7. Play Earth Day Bingo on Instagram - Join Nature of the North all day on 4/22/2020 and play Earth Day Bingo. Walk around the neighborhood or a park (following all local & federal guidelines for social distancing) and clean things up. If you find items listed on the bingo card: Take photos of you & what you’ve found, check them off your card, then post the pictures w/ completed card on Instagram using hashtag #EARTHDAYBINGO There is a prize available, a free day pass to their rock climbing wall…which is great if you’re near Fargo, ND. If not? It’ll still be fun! Earth Day Bingo Details

8. Attend a Virtual Shamanic Gathering - A group out of Connecticut, The Sacred Journey, will hold a free, virtual Zoom gathering around their fire pit & waterfall to celebrate Earth Day with a shamanic ceremony, a prayer, as well as a healing, heart-centered Sound Medicine session to bring things to a close. This one hour ceremony begins at 7:00 pm EDT 4/22/2020, Attend via Zoom

9. Join Animal Muse Communication & Reiki’s Virtual Earth Day Celebration - Celebrate Mother Earth and all her sentient beings during this fun interactive discussion. Insight from nature and wildlife, including a meditation will connect you to Earth's wisdom. This one hour celebration begins at 11:00 am PDT 4/22/2020, Attend via Zoom

That’s it folks, that’s what I’ve got. There are LOTS of other things you can do. I mean, most of you are Pagan or Pagan Adjacent, so honoring the Earth isn’t likely to be a foreign concept to you. I have all sorts of faith that you’ll make Mama Earth feel all sorts of loved on her special day.

Until Next Time, Pixilators!

Wishing You Peace, Love, & Pixie Dust