Earth Day has historically been a time when we come together to celebrate the planet and share our resources, ideas and enthusiasm for improving our environment. On the 50th anniversary of this annual event, the Covid 19 pandemic has forced traditional in person gatherings to go online. Below, discover ways we can still connect and celebrate the planet while practicing social distancing. We’re all in this together!
Digital Events
Earth Day Network Find A Digital Event Map – Scroll down to the interactive map on this site to see what organizations are doing in Virginia and around the globe.
Earth Day Network Register your Digital Event – Let others know what your group is doing for Earth Day.
Earth Day Live 2020 – The world’s largest civic event is going digital for the first time in its history. On April 22nd, tune in to Earth Day Live 2020, featuring
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- Ed Begley, Jr., Actor, Environmentalist, Global Advisory Committee Member
- Zdeno Chara, Captain of the Boston Bruins
- Sylvia Earle, World-renowned Marine Biologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence
- Zac Efron, Actor and Global Advisory Committee Member
- Patricia Espinosa, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary
- Christiana Figueres, Former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
- Jerome Foster II, White House Climate Striker and Founder of OneMillionOfUs
- Al Gore, Former Vice President, Global Environmental Advocate, and Award-winning Filmmaker
- Denis Hayes, Organizer of the first Earth Day, Board Chair Emeritus of Earth Day Network and President, CEO, The Bullitt Foundation
- Alex Honnold, Free Climber and star of Oscar-Winning Documentary, Free Solo
- Van Jones, News Commentator
- Licypriya Kangujam, Youth Climate Activist and Founder of The Child Movement
- Anil Kapoor, Award-winning Actor, Producer, and Global Advisory Committee Member
- Ricky Kej, Grammy-Winning Musician and Global Advisory Committee Member
- John Kerry, 68th Secretary of State, Global Advisory Committee Member, Founder of World War Zero
- Thomas Lovejoy, Senior Fellow at the United Nations Foundation and Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University.
- Bill McKibben, Founder of 350.org
- His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, Global Advisory Committee Member
- Paul Nicklen, National Geographic Filmmaker, Photographer and Marine Biologist
- Kyra Sedgwick, Actress, Producer, Director, and Global Advisory Committee Member
- Alexandria Villaseñor, Founder and Executive Director of Earth Uprising
- Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus and Global Advisory Committee Member
Digital Events Hosted by Virginia-based organizations
Charlottesville Earth Week is partnering with University of Virginia Sustainability to bring you daily ways to engage and a list of Earth Week events.
Earth-Art-Athon online art show hosted by Rockfish Valley Foundation.Anyone in Nelson County or surrounding counties and cities thereof are invited to participate!
Earth Day Online University presented by Ride Solutions, Roanoke Allegheny Regional Commission, Clean Valley Council and Sustainable Roanoke. Learn about Transportation, Resource Management, Local Foods and more.
Virtual Climate Rally hosted by The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter will feature various speakers from across Hampton Roads to touch on a wide variety of topics.
Earth Day Staunton has created a week’s worth of family and individual activities which can be done at home and shared on Facebook.
SiNG iN PLACE hosted by Art ARTivism Virginia. Bi-Weekly Concert series bringing you an hour of music, spoken word, pipeline updates and action opportunities.
*Check back on the Earth Day Network Find A Digital Event Map for an updated list of events.
Videos
Earth Day, 1970 – Original broadcast of CBS News Special Report with Walter Cronkite about the first Earth Day.
Environmental movies on Earth Day – Turner Classic Movies is presenting a selection of films on April 22 that highlights the environmental cause.
At Home Activities
The Money-Saving Guide to Going Green at Home. Is being eco-friendly at home a goal of yours? By reducing waste, choosing energy-saving options, cutting out single-use plastics, and taking other simple steps, we can strive for a more planet-oriented and frugal lifestyle as individuals and as a family. (Thank you to Ms. Platt & her students Jessica, Jocelyn, Adam, and Madalyn for sending us this great resource!)
Earth Day Network At Home and Digital Activities – Even as you stay home and maintain social distancing, you can still exercise your responsibility to act for the environment.
Earth Day Network Become a citizen scientist – Use the Earth Challenge 2020 app to gather important environmental information near you.
Virtual Climate Camp – Community Climate Collaborative is hosting a 5-week virtual climate camp for kids and parents during Earth Month.
Articles and online learning
Dykstra, Peter. “Earth Day 2020: The Thirty Year War.” Environmental Health News, 12 Apr 2020. 1990 was the 20th Anniversary of the original Earth Day. If they could look ahead to this month’s 50th, they’d be mortified.
Ehrlich, Paul. “A pandemic, planetary reckoning, and a path forward.” Environmental Health News, 20 Mar 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing environmental destruction and the deterioration of social and cultural systems into sharp focus. But we can learn from this.
Hayes, Dennis. “The most important election of your lifetime.” (Opinion) Seattle Times, 10 Apr 2020. COVID-19 robbed us of Earth Day this year. So let’s make Election Day Earth Day. The author was the Coordinator for the first Earth Day and currently the President of the Bullitt Foundation.
Earth Day Network Online Learning Resources – Earth Day Network has complied a digital resource library to help engage students in fun, interactive and educational activities as we practice social distancing.
We will add events and resources in the days leading up to Earth Day 2020, so be sure to check back!
