The Earth is an exceptional place. It’s our home, and home to a diversity of plants and animals, and as such, it deserves to be celebrated every day of the year.
This Earth Day we celebrate 50 years since the first Earth Day (1970), when people around the nation took to the streets to use their voice to drive change for the health of the planet. Learn more about Earth Day’s rich history.
Keep the Earth Day Celebration Going Every Day With These 10 Ways to Take Action for the Planet
By providing the ingredients necessary to certify your Schoolyard Habitat®—food, water, cover, places to raise young, and sustainable practices—students are creating a place for wildlife to thrive. Certification doesn’t just benefit wildlife—it also provides access to special resources and information from the National Wildlife Federation. Once school is back in session, plan to celebrate your success as a Certified Wildlife Habitat®.
The monarch butterfly population is facing severe decline. The National Wildlife Federation and its partner organizations are working to reverse this decline through campaigns and programs such as the Million Pollinator Challenge, Butterfly Heroes, and the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge. The keys to reversing the trend? Education and planting of Monarch Recovery Gardens, which allow students to help monarchs in meaningful ways at a critical time for the species. This long-term learning experience allows students to create habitat(s) for monarchs and engage and build community around this national environmental issue. Make plans to share your Monarch recovery garden design and plan a planting day once school is back in session.
Develop a plan for a cleanup on your school grounds, or at a local park, waterway, or adjacent neighborhood for the fall. While learning about various environmental issues, a litter cleanup is a great way to bring the school community together and make a direct impact for wildlife and the local watershed.
Through The GLOBE Program, a NASA-sponsored partner of Eco-Schools USA, students will conduct protocols in any four Earth spheres to better understand the Earth as a system. Using GLOBE with the Seven Step Framework allows students to build a deeper understanding of systems and the relationships that exist between Earth's systems and wildlife and habitat.
On September 25, 2015, countries adopted a set of goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new United Nations sustainable development agenda. Each goals has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years. Determine how these goals—including Life on Land, Climate Action, and Life Below Water—can be used to deepen student learning and provide students with a global perspective on environmental issues.
Engage students in discussions about wildlife and conservation while traveling across the world through the “Nature’s Witness” Virtual Photo Exhibit. Download free activity guides for classroom use.
Every garden needs TLC throughout the year. Work with the Eco-Action Team to plan a spring and fall garden cleanup. The cleanups should focus on removing weeds and invasive species, adding organic amendments if necessary, and removing dead plants or obstacles for the next growing season. This can also be a time to brainstorm and develop plans to expand the current garden. In hosting a cleanup day, be sure to invite students, families, and the community at large. Encourage everyone to bring gloves, any garden tools on hand, a snack, and a refillable water bottle.
Share
