Earth Day 2020

 

Earth Day 2020

Earth Day will be celebrated by millions all around the world on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 – marking its landmark 50th anniversary.

The theme for Earth Day 2020 is climate action.

Earth Day activity ideas while self-isolating in 2020

Although this year limits how groups can participate in Earth Day 2020, there are several ways to celebrate at home or your backyard using the concepts of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”:

• Enlist the kids to help build a bird feeder for the backyard or patio — by using a plastic bottle and filling it with bird feed.

Be sure there is adult supervision when cutting a hole (near the bottom) to allow access to the feed. Place on a patio table outside, or tie a string around the neck of the bottle to hang from a tree.

No seed? Use bits of whole grain bread or cereals like Cheerios to fill your feeder. NOTE: You can also make a nature-made feed bowl out of half an orange peel. Fill it with seed and place on an outdoor table or windowsill.

• In the garden, scope out a good location for a compost pile. Start recycling coffee grounds, egg shells, and scraps of food to decompose and to ultimately enrich your garden — instead of it ending up in a local landfill.
• Around the house, begin a spring cleaning project by clearing out the cupboards for old clothes you will never wear again. Stack them in a box or garbage bag so they are ready to donate on the next available trip to a local charity organisation.
• Perform a household energy audit. Focus on things like electronic devices that are left on 24/7 — which accounts for 5-10% of residential energy use per year! Turn them off when not in use and you can save an average £100 on your electric bill annually. While you’re at it, check lamps and light fixtures to replace old bulbs with longer-lasting, more energy-efficient ones. Not ready to take the plunge into solar energy just yet? Look for solar-powered porch or entryway lights you can easily install yourself.

Quotes for Earth Day

““Until a man duplicates a blade of grass, Nature can laugh at his so-called scientific knowledge.” — Thomas Alva Edison

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” — Native American Proverb

“What is the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on? — Henry David Thoreau

“Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them.” — Bill Vaughan

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtfully committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead

“Until a man duplicates a blade of grass, Nature can laugh at his so-called scientific knowledge. Remedies from chemicals will never stand in favouhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?rable comparison with the products of Nature, the living cell of a plant, the final result of the rays of the sun, the mother of all life.” — Thomas Alva Edison

More about Earth Day around the Web:

Planet Pals – Kid-friendly community with fun facts, activities, and resources for learning more about planet Earth, recycling & conservation, and lots of links to Earth Day information around the Web.

Earth Day – Wikipedia – A good overview on the history of American environmental concerns, the origins of the celebration plus links to more on international events.

https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/kids-club/cool-kids/general-kids-club/earth-day/

More Earth Day Activities for Kids

Plant a tree.

Trees can help with soil erosion and contribute to dealing with carbon emissions, so make your mark—and give the next generation a greener future, too—by planting a few trees this Earth Day. The best part is, you can do this just about anywhere!

 Plan your own Earth Day science experiment.

This Earth Day, try out a cool science experiment to show how different disasters can affect our planet. For example, pour oil into a tub of water to see how difficult it is to clean up and why it’s so important that we keep oil spills from ruining our planet’s oceans.

Build birdhouse or bird feeder.

Share your home with all of the Earth’s creatures by building a birdhouse or bird feeder out of recycled materials, such as an old cardboard box or milk jug, to help out your local avian population.

DIY a dry seed bomb.

Get your hands dirty with this fun and crafty activity that will help you get start on the planting season. To make, combine one part seeds, five parts compost, and 3 parts clay powder or clay soil (this helps it all stick together) in a bowl. Add a few drop of water at a time as you mix the whole thing together. Shape it into balls, then lay them out in the sun to dry. They’ll be ready to plant within a couple of days!

Build a terrarium.

Building a terrarium is a neat project to try any time of year, but especially on Earth Day! Not only is it a great way to bring a little bit of nature indoors, it makes for some cool bedroom decor, too.

Build a bug hotel.

Every animal on Earth has a special role to play in keeping our environment healthy—even the little critters! A bug hotel attracts beneficial insects that help control pests and gives them a place to nest during colder months, so they’ll stay close to your garden year-round. Make one by filling a small wood box with dried grasses, bark and pinecones.

Go on a nature scavenger hunt.

Learn about local flora and fauna this Earth Day by searching for flowers, plants and trees native to your region around your neighborhood. Look for a regionalist list of native plants online to help guide your search!

Start a compost bin in your backyard.

Start a composting bin for your home this Earth Day. This eco-friendly way of disposing of veggie scraps and other bio-degradable waste products not only cuts back on the amount of trash you produce and send to landfills, but it creates a nutrient-rich compost mixture that can give your garden a boost!

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Craft a nature collage.

Celebrate Earth Day this year by making an all-natural art collage with things you’ve founding in nature, like leaves, pressed flowers, pieces of bark and other small items. Collect items while you’re out for a hike or exploring your local nature trail.