Earth Day is a day when events are held worldwide to increase awareness and appreciation of the Earth’s natural environment, coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network and celebrated in more than 175 countries. Around the United States, there is probably an Earth Day event close to you. Growing out of the first Earth Day, Earth Day Network works with over 22,000 partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year making it the largest civic observance in the world.
Here are some of the more notable celebrations around the United States.
Earth Day on the National Mall
The centerpiece of Earth Day in the United States will be a rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Tens of thousands of environmentally conscious people from all walks of life and all parts of the country will be joined by civic leaders and celebrities for this special event to galvanize the environmental movement.
Annual Earth Day Silent Auction
On Earth Day, April 22, 2012, the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust will be holding our annual silent auction with over 40 items from REI, Caribou Coffee, NVRPA and many more contributors.
Arizona has a celebration event featuring recycling drop off for old batteries. Do your part and keep batteries out of the landfill by bringing them into one of their locations for recycling.
In Colorado Springs, Colorado recognition of Earth Day gets FREE rides on Mountain Metropolitan Transit fixed-route city buses on Friday, April 20, 2012. Take this opportunity to try out alternative transportation.
Prairie Village Earth Fair
The Prairie Village Kansas Earth Fair will be held at 75th and Mission Road and will feature vendors, demonstrations, new technology and home improvement designed to lead us to a greener world. Local entertainment and food trucks will be on hand to round out the day’s events.
Celebrate Earth Day weekend in Kansas City, Missouri, and help build a greener KC! Choose from a 2.5- or 3.5-mile route along Brush Creek and the Plaza to support Bridging The Gap and environmental education and action programs in Kansas City. Make an even greater difference and join with family, friends and co-workers to form a team!
Clean Up Your Corner is a grassroots event asking everyone around the world to donate one hour of their time on Earth Day 2012 (April 22) cleaning up their area of the world. This can be accomplished through simply picking up and properly disposing of trash on the street or recycling/repurposing tossed items that can be recycled or repurposed.
“AWAKEN your heart, your mind, don’t let it slip by you.” These are lyrics from JES, asking us to step up, pay attention and be the change in the World around us. We have only one Earth, that we all share, “with one moon circling” over us all.
In celebration of Earth Day, Benevolent Media and SCRAP DC present an afternoon of eco-conscious art and design, featuring a pop-up marketplace of local vendors and interactive workshops led by teaching artists dedicated to inspiring “creative reuse” and environmentally sustainable behavior.
Mark your calendar for Alexandria Earth Day 2012! This year’s celebration will be held at Ben Brenman Park (4800 Brenman Park Dr., Alexandria, VA) on Saturday, April 21, 2012, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There is a lot going on with other cities before and after Earth Day. Still, much remains to be done and “there is still the need for volunteers to come together at least once a year to clean up their communities, usually around Earth Day, bagging trash tossed in parks, along streets and into rivers,” says NorthJersey.com. “Some people haven’t gotten the message.”
[Flickr photo by Cayusa]