Since 1970, the United States has celebrated the modern-day environmental movement with annual Earth Day observances around the country. This April 22, state environmental agencies will mark the day in a variety of ways. Here’s just a sampling:
- The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection has curated a comprehensive set of environmental tips to protect the planet on Earth Day and every day. Ideas range from how to dispose of, recycle, or reuse everything from A to Z, from kicking the water bottle habit to starting a “green team” in the workplace.
- The Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control (DNREC) is celebrating Earth Day with the theme Planet vs. Plastics. Throughout April, DNREC is focusing on the health risks of plastics, organizing volunteer cleanups throughout natural areas such as the Christina River Watershed and Slaughter Beach. The department encourages residents and visitors to pitch in and help keep Delaware’s waterways, wetlands, and landscapes clean and trash-free.
- The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency commemorated Earth Day early through its annual Poster, Poetry, & Prose Contest. The 2024 theme – Where Does Water Go? How Can We Slow the Flow? – encouraged students to explore how rain interacts with the landscape, the effects of droughts and floods, and ways to protect the state’s water resources. In preparation for the contest, classrooms across the state engaged in focused lesson planning, concluding with submissions to showcase students’ knowledge, reflections, and perspectives. See the winning entries here.
- Similarly, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management observes Earth Day each year by offering free, hands-on classroom presentations to elementary schools across the state during the month of April. Presentations cover topics like air, land, or water quality and recycling. Examples of the presentations are available here.
- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has assembled an Earth Day page featuring fun ways to engage with nature. The site offers activities like scavenger hunts, tree planting and care, and volunteer opportunities in state parks, as well as educational resources on reducing food waste, building your own rain barrel, and recycling. DNR foresters can even help Iowans plant a tree so it will survive and thrive.
- The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, & Energy will co-host its first annual Earth Day Student Summit featuring breakout sessions on sustainability, hands-on exhibits, and immersive field experiences to explore careers in the environment. The agency is also sponsoring a poster contest for students in grades K-5 and plans to present awards for students in grades 6-12 that have completed service projects creating tangible results for the environment.
- North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has officially declared April 22 Earth Day in the state. According to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, Earth Day can be celebrated through raising awareness about the state’s natural resources and taking action to advance environmental protection and conservation. Simple ways citizens can celebrate Earth Day, and every day, are by participating in cleanup, recycling, taking public transportation or carpooling, turning off lights when leaving a room, planting trees, and using renewable resources when possible.
