Earth Day Is April 22, Little Creek! Here Are a Few Facts About the Holiday — and Ways You Can Celebrate!
April 3, 2015
You turn the water off while you brush your teeth, you recycle your plastics and glass, and every April, you celebrate Earth Day. But even if you consider yourself to be eco-conscious, there are probably a few things you've yet to learn about this holiday, which takes place annually on April 22. Here are a few facts you may not already know about Earth Day:
1) Here in America, the first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970. The holiday was founded by Gaylord Nelson, a politician and environmental activist who, in an effort to raise awareness about environmental issues, championed for a nationwide "teach-in" at schools across the country. His efforts resulted in peaceful environmental rallies and demonstrations by more than 20 million Americans during Earth Day's inaugural year.
2) Earth Day went global in 1990, spreading across 141 countries to include more than 200 million participants. According to the Earth Day Network, "Earth Day is the largest civic event in the world."
3) The mission of Earth Day is to promote environmental awareness and to reiterate the urgency of going green, even if it involves small changes to personal habits, like turning off lights upon leaving a room. Some celebrate the day by riding their bike to work, planting a tree, being extra vigilant about recycling, switching to online bills instead of paper… The possibilities are endless. (Check out Pinterest for fun Earth Day activities you can do with your kids at Little Creek.)
To learn more about Earth Day, follow the links below!
Earth Day [History.com]
When Was the First Earth Day? [National Ocean Service]
Earth Day Facts [softschools.com]
Earth Day: The History of a Movement [Earth Day Network]