Earth Day 2020 

By Sarah Dimock 

Global. It’s a word we used to use to mean worldwide, but as the coronavirus continues to spread, “Global” has taken on a new connotation. Global doesn’t just refer to our planet as a scientific body. We’re actively being forced to admit that global events aren’t a distant concept seemingly too broad to affect us. Global in the age of COVID-19 means everywhere and, more importantly, everyone. 

Today, April 22^nd, is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and we can probably all agree that it’s kind of a strange one. If you had plans to volunteer somewhere, they’ve inevitably been canceled. Maybe you were going to take the opportunity to teach your kids more about nature, but you’re stuck inside. 

Fortunately, technology is here to rescue us again. There are some great digital events going on for Earth Day this year that you can join in on even if you aren’t able to go outside. Here are some of the coolest ones we could find that are absolutely free: 

For Adults: 

Uniting From Home – Join the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) to hear from climate change leaders. Learn about climate organizing during the pandemic and things that you can do right now to help fight climate change. 

Carbon Drawdown Now! Building to Combat the Climate Crisis – Hear from NESEA, the North Eastern Sustainable Energy Association, on constructing and operating buildings that reduce carbon emissions and are better for our world. 

2020 Climate Diet Summit – Learn about eating more sustainably, ways that you can help get involved in changing our food system, and much more. 

For Families: 

Hurricane Island Educator Day – Take a virtual trip to the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership where their Education Manager, Kat Duvall, will “introduce you to our new series of videos and education materials to connect you with #Hurricanefromhome through our values of Curiosity, Inquiry, Community, and Sustainability.” 

Keep it Green/Keep it Clean – The Roundhouse Aquarium in California is moving its annual Earth Day event to Facebook where they’ve promised hourly posts. They’ll be sharing educational videos, crafts to do at home, activity books for the kids, tips to celebrate Earth Day every day, and more. 

If these aren’t up your alley, you can find tons of digital events around the world at EarthDay.org. And if you’re looking for more science-based and Earth Day digital content, the Maryland Science Center has also moved online and has hours and hours of cool science content for kids. EarthDay.org has a great list of 7 eco-friendly actions for kids during the pandemic, NatGeo has released free educational resources for parents, and NASA has an out-of-this-world view about Earth Day you might also want to explore. 

Banding together to fight issues that matter to us is more important now than ever. Let’s not forget to take care of each other on a global scale. Everywhere. Everyone. 

Says Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network, “We hope you will stand with us as we fight for a safer, healthier and more just future for all. Together, we can build an Earth Day unlike any other — an Earth Day that defines us as a global community, united by our challenges yet unshrinking from the bold, urgent action needed to overcome them.”