How Will You Go Green for Our Planet?

To honor our amazing Earth and focus on solving some of our greatest environmental concerns, we take part in Earth Day on the 22^nd of every April. 

Earth Day was first recognized in 1970, and it now mobilizes over 1 billion people across 190 countries each year. Leaders and citizens across the world come together to volunteer, spread the word about environmental issues and make our world a better, more sustainable place to live. No one is too young or too old to go green this April, so we encourage you to celebrate by teaming up with friends, family and loved ones to get involved!

Incorporate Earth Day Into Your Everyday

Small actions we can all take each day add up to make a big difference in the care of our planet. Go green by making it a habit to reduce waste and reuse materials for new, exciting projects!

Excessive trash is a common problem in our world today. Thankfully, there are plenty of simple ways we can keep our planet clean. Reusing something is as easy as finding a new purpose for an item that you already have, while recycling is making the object into something else entirely. For the greatest impact, try to first reduce consumption, then reuse items you have and follow up by recycling materials that cannot be repurposed – trash should be a last resort! Be careful to pay attention to what items your area accepts in their recycling program; common items include clean plastic, paper, cardboard and aluminum.

Did you know that you can even turn scraps of certain food and plant matter into something useful? It’s called composting! Your garden will thank you for the fresh, nutrient-rich soil, and the planet will be better off because of it. You can even start with things you likely have on hand at home, including coffee grounds and grass clippings. Don’t forget to reuse the plastic coffee pods for seedling starter pots when combined with your new compost!

Try Eco-Friendly Activities

To get your creativity flowing this Earth Day, explore a few awesome STEM activities and ideas. Let your interests guide your learning as you appreciate the planet that sustains us!

• There’s nothing quite like witnessing science with your own eyes, and the perfect way to observe weather patterns, habitats, and plant or animal behavior is by supporting local or national parks! We have guides for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, West, South, and Hawaii and Alaska national parks – where will your next adventure lead?
• You don’t need to take a trip to welcome wildlife into your life. Make your backyard a safe space for native wildlife year-round by building a backyard habitat. What fascinating creatures are you most excited to help?
• The more we learn, the greater impact we can make. Get inspired by real-life environmental heroes, and it may lead you to a world-changing idea of your own! We recommend starting your search with our Hall of Famer Jacqueline Quinn, the NASA engineer who co-invented an effective, environmentally safe cleanup technology. How can you make strides toward a cleaner Earth?

There’s More to Explore!

To uncover STEM in the world around you, we invite you to read more of our blog.