9 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day From Home

With many of us homebound thanks to COVID-19, this Earth Day celebration—which marks the 50th anniversary of the event—is going to look a little different than in years past. But just because you’re stuck inside doesn’t mean you can’t participate. From making a sign for your window to making glacier goo, here’s how you can celebrate Earth Day from the comfort of your home.

1. Make A Window Sign

One of the easiest ways to celebrate this Earth Day is to make a sign for your window. If you need a catchy slogan, EarthDay.org has some suggestions.

2. And 3. Participate in Earthday.org’s 24 Hours of Action and Earth Challenge 2020

On Wednesday, April 22, EarthDay.org will “issue 24 actions for the planet that you can take now, wherever you are,” according to its website. Follow along on EarthDay.org or on social media (@earthdaynetwork) for new challenges every hour of Earth Day. The organization is also running Earth Challenge 2020, a citizen science project that will call on users to report observations of air quality and plastic pollution. You can find out more here.

4. AMNH’s Earthfest at Home

New York City’s American Museum of Natural History is celebrating Earth Day this year with its virtual Earthfest, a day-long slate of activities including an instructional gardening workshop; a glacier goo how-to that demonstrates glacier physics; a live watch party that takes you around the world, and another that’s out of this world; and an Earth-themed trivia night. Find out how you can participate here.

5. USC’s Online Earth Day Celebration

The University of Southern California (USC) will run forums over the course of April 22, 23, and 24, including a spring career fair, an innovation panel, and a citizen science project. You can see all of the events and register here.

6. Earth Day 50/50: Looking Back, Moving Forward

On April 22, the Earth Institute at Columbia University will host a live webcast featuring scientists and experts called “Earth Day 50/50: Looking Back, Moving Forward,” covering the history of Earth Day, the latest in climate research, and ways to build a sustainable planet in the future. You can register here, and check out Columbia’s other Earth Day offerings—which includes a seminar for kids on the science of microplastics—here.

7. WWF’s #ArtForEarth

This week, the World Wildlife Federation (WWF) is asking people to create art that shows their appreciation for, and the importance of, nature using the hashtag #ArtForEarth. Each day has a theme; appropriately, the theme on Earth Day is One Earth. You can find out more here.

8. NASA’s #EarthDayatHome

To help us all celebrate Earth Day virtually, NASA has put together a website chock-full of resources, from a webquest showing how its scientists study the Earth to a citizen science project/game identifying corals in the Great Barrier Reef. They’ve also put together a 50th anniversary kit featuring games, activities, photos, and more. (You can also check out NASA at Home and NASA STEM at Home.) Participants can share how they’re celebrating Earth Day on social media with the hashtag #EarthDayatHome.

9. Earth Optimism Summit

Smithsonian’s Earth Optimism Summit, which runs from April 22 to 26, “ stories of both small- and large-scale actions, framing the conversation and demonstrating that success is possible.” It will feature movie nights, virtual workshops on subjects like how animals bring us happiness and another on fighting pandemics, interviews with experts, and more. The summit will be broadcast live on their website (as well as Facebook Live, YouTube, and Twitter). You’re encouraged to share your own stories and experiences on social media with the hashtag #EarthOptimism. You can find out more here.