Photo courtesy of NASA - taken during the Apollo 17 mission
Friday, April 22nd, is Earth Day! You’ve most likely heard about Earth Day, planted a tree, made a craft with recycled supplies, or even planned an organized trash pick-up. But how did Earth Day first get started?
The first Earth Day was April 22nd, 1970. It was the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson (from Wisconsin). He had actually been working on the idea for Earth Day for years before the first official Earth Day in 1970.
“Actually, the idea for Earth Day evolved over a period of seven years starting in 1962. For several years, it had been troubling me that the state of our environment was simply a non-issue in the politics of the country. Finally, in November 1962, an idea occurred to me that was, I thought, a virtual cinch to put the environment into the political “limelight” once and for all.” – Senator Gaylord Nelson
How can you celebrate Earth Day?
- Plant trees and other native plants
- Make nature crafts
- Learn more about the environment
- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle all day long
- Recycle or donate your old toys, games, and clothes
- Take a walk and pick up trash
- Share a story or song about the Earth
- Ride a bike or walk instead of driving in a car
- Make a video about Earth Day
- Reduce your waste – try to not throw anything away
- Don’t think you create much trash? Carry around a trash bag with you all day to see how much you really do throw away!
What are your ideas for how to celebrate Earth Day?
