A satellite image of the Western Hemisphere on Sept. 19, 2019. Photo: NASA
This year marks the 52nd celebration of Earth Day, and Fermilab will continue its tradition of celebrating our home planet. As in 2021, the lab will host multiple virtual events over the course of a week, beginning April 18.
The first Earth Day occurred in 1970 throughout thousands of schools and hundreds of communities in the United States. Earth Day 1970 shined a much-needed spotlight onto the deterioration of the environment at that time. Shortly following the inaugural Earth Day, the United States government created the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which led to the passage of a number of crucial acts in support of environmental protection. Today, Earth Day continues to bring attention to the environmental challenges at hand, pushing for support and change for the better. Now celebrated annually on April 22, Earth Day is a worldwide event coordinated by the Earth Day Network.
While we at the lab continue to celebrate virtually, there are many ways that we can also observe Earth Day from our homes.
Many of us do spring-cleaning this time of year. Before disposing of old items, consider donation or upcycling as a form of reuse. You can also use this checklist to evaluate where sustainable improvements can be made in your home. Additionally, the Fermilab Earth Day Fair website lists even more ways you can add sustainability into your lives, including measuring your carbon footprint and signing up to stop junk mail and phone books.
It is also a great time to get kids involved and teach them about Earth Day. There are a number of fun and educational activities that are available online, including nature scavenger hunt, Earth Day coloring sheets, egg carton gardens, Earth Day quizzes and more.
We encourage everyone to recognize Earth Day by participating in lab events the week of April 18-22. These events will include a presentation on home gardening, a live walk through one of our prairies with Fermilab Ecologist Wally Levernier, classes on how to compost and more! Many of the events are open to the public and suitable for all ages. For more information and to register for events, please visit the Fermilab Office of Education and Public Engagement website.
We look forward to celebrating with you. Happy Earth Day!
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