Ideas for Earth Day this year

For 55 years, April 22nd has been celebrated as Earth Day– a day to celebrate the wonders of our planet and a reminder of all that we can and should do to protect it. Whether you are interested in doing something hands-on like a beach cleanup or going on a hike, letting your elected officials know about environmental issues you care about or simply taking some extra time to learn more about the natural world, there’s something for everyone. 

PIRG and Environment America have teamed up to provide some helpful activities, guides and information to help you celebrate Earth Day in your own way.

Celebrate Earth Day with the kids in your life

Sharing the beauty and value of the natural world can be a joyful endeavor for you and for the kids in your life. We have activities that will help bring you and your kids a new appreciation of the environment at our new resource page, “Environmental resources for parents, teachers and youth leaders.”

We also have “50 family nature activities,” with loads of fun activities for kids of all ages that are perfect for Earth Day.

Host or participate in an event

One of the most common ways that people celebrate Earth Day is by joining or organizing a community event. If you’re interested in joining an event in your local community, a quick google search for “Earth Day event + your city/town” is a good place to start. 

If you’re interested in organizing your own event for Earth Day, here are some ideas to consider:

• Plastic pellets, though tiny in size, are a big problem in our nation’s waterways. Organize a plastic pellet or “nurdle” hunt in your local waterway to help identify sources of this pollution. Our guide to finding nurdles in your local waterway can help get you started.
• Beyond Earth Day, we are also organizing the International Plastic Pellet Count on May 3rd, where people across the world are looking for plastic pellets in their local waterway to help shine a spotlight on the problem of plastic pellet pollution. Consider hosting an event in your community for that day, and spending Earth Day recruiting volunteers to join you.
• Host a clothing swap to help cut down on textile waste by giving clothes a longer life. Our guide to organizing a clothing swap or our guide to hosting a clothing swap for kids clothes can give you some good ideas.
• Host a nature documentary watch party and share your love of nature with friends and family. Here’s a list of our favorites. You can also use the watch party as a way to encourage people to let their elected officials know what environmental issues they care about.

Make change in your own home or community

Earth Day can be a great time to challenge yourself to do more to reduce your impact on the environment. We have compiled some of our best tips and resources on ways that you can reduce plastic, food, textile and electronic waste, shift your buying habits, garden to best support pollinators, power your life with clean energy and more.

Resources for reducing waste:

• Tips to avoid buying new stuff to save money and the planet
• Ditch plastic packaging: Shop at your local refillery
• Simple steps you can take to reduce your use of plastic
• Fashion tips: How to dress more sustainably and reduce your environmental impact
• How to save food and prevent waste
• Why you should fix stuff with your neighbors

Resources for protecting bees and other pollinators:

• Guide to planting a pollinator-friendly garden
• Buy an Environment America “Bee-Friendly Garden Kit”
• When, where and how to plant milkweed to save the monarch butterfly
• How to make your lawn and garden better for bees

Resources for powering your life with clean energy:

• Clean Energy Home Toolkit
• How to go solar
• How to go solar as a renter

Go out into nature

Another great way to celebrate Earth Day is to go out into nature. You go on your favorite hike or find a new place to explore. But you could also stay closer to home. Check out our 10 tips for appreciating nature in your neighborhood.

For anyone who has been interested in looking for widlife, check out our Birding for beginners resource.

Make your voice heard on an environmental issue you care about

Taking individual actions in your own life to help the planet is important, but even bigger change can come when we join our voices with others who are looking to do the same. We’ve provided online actions you can take below to get you started. But we’d also encourage you to take time on Earth Day to write a personal letter to your local, state and national elected officials and let them know the environmental issues that you care about. That personal touch can make a really big impact.