Celebrating Earth Day

POC holding recyclables and and a plant with a drawing of trees and clouds behind them.

At a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Conference in San Francisco in 1969, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and promote peace to be observed on March 21, 1970. A proclamation was later written by McConnell and signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations. On April 22, 1970, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson further carried the idea to establish Earth Day in the United States to bring awareness to environmental issues. Currently more than 1 billion people in 192 countries around the world celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd, making it the largest holiday in the world.

We have Earth Day to thank for the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. In 1990 it was taken international with events in 141 countries. The 2023 Earth Day theme is “Invest in Our Planet”.

Celebrate Earth Day with these ideas:

  • Volunteer on Earth Day at Squaxin Park in Olympia.
  • Tumwater Parks & Recreation is looking for volunteers to help mulch, plant, and remove invasive plants and debris at Tumwater Historical Park.
  • Join a clean-up in your area. Help pick up trash and litter in neighborhoods, beaches, rivers, lakes, trails, and parks.
  • Learn about native plants in your area on your daily walk around the neighborhood. You can use the Native Plant Finder website to find out which plants are native to your ZIP code. See how many of these plants you can find.
  • Plant a garden. Try your hand at planting a vegetable garden or plant a tree. It’s the perfect time to plant that garden you’ve always wanted. Use your newfound knowledge of native plants to start a native garden!
  • Learn about recycling and your local recycling rules. Refresh your knowledge about what happens to the things we recycle.
  • Watch a documentary about our planet. Check out free nature documentaries on Waterbear.com or use your library card on Kanopy or Hoopla.

Visit EarthDay.org for more ideas to celebrate Earth Day and beyond.