Celebrate Earth Day Virtually!

April 22nd, 2020 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Join the Alliance on Earth Day for a virtual event that focuses on environmental stewardship and everyday actions you can take in your home and your daily life to become a better steward of the environment and the Chesapeake Bay! We’ll share tips, tricks, and lots of resources for you to use in your home throughout the day, and we’ll share activities you can do along the day to be a part of a collective group working toward restoring our environment!

Follow us on Facebook to join us on April 22nd!


A Schedule for A Virtual Earth Day Celebration:

9:00- 11:00am | Stay inside this Earth Day and enjoy these short inspirational, environmental films created by Wild & Scenic Film Festival!

A Letter to Congress (3 Mins): Wallace Stegner’s 1960 letter to Congress about the importance of wilderness is the framework for a new message, one in which ourunified voice can help prevent the transfer of our most valuable heritage- our public lands- to private and corporate interests

Ace the Desert Dog (9 Mins): For his 60th birthday, adventure photographer Ace Kvale and his dog, Genghis Khan, set out for a 60-day backpacking trip in Utah’s canyon country. The pair tells the story of their trek, friendship, and Genghis records it on his Desert Dawg Adventure Blawg.

Unofficial History of the National Parks (4 mins): National Parks are hard.

Grandad (3 mins): Every morning in the summer, Granddad rises at dawn to row twice around the lake. Join him on his morning meditation.

Ghosts of the Artic (7 mins): Follow the grit and determination of polar photographer Joshua Holko as he traverses the frozen landscape of Svalbard, in the high Arctic, to encounter polar bears on foot. Taking place during one of the coldest periods in the last few years, the crew suffered frostbite and camera failures during the filming process. The aerials featured in the film do great justice to the stark beauty of the arctic landscape.

Forget Shorter Showers (11 mins): Would any sane person think dumpster diving would have stopped Hitler, or that composting would have ended slavery or brought about the eight-hour workday; or that chopping wood and carrying water would have gotten people out of Tsarist prisons; or that dancing around a fire would have helped put in place the Voting Rights Act of 1957 or the Civil Rights Act of 1964? Then why now, with all the world at stake, do so many people retreat into these entirely personal “solutions”?

Dragging 235 lbs Uphill Both Ways (8 mins): The next generation is becoming increasingly plugged in to electronics and out of touch with the outdoors. This will have enormous effects on future conservationism. A mother of four kids decides to turn off the screens and make a change. Though challenging, her kids go from fearing and ignoring nature to understanding and loving it.

The Gnomist (18 mins): “The Gnomist” a true story about the mysterious appearance of fairy homes in a suburban forest and the magical experience shared by three women.

Lost in Light (3 mins): “Lost in Light” is a short film on how light pollution affects the view of the night skies. Shot mostly in California, this piece shows how the night sky view gets progressively better as you move away from the lights:

Biomimicry (22 mins): “Biomimicry”, the practice of looking deeply into nature for solutions to engineering, design and other challenges, has inspired a film about it’s ground-breaking vision for creating a long-term, sustainable world. This film covers how mimicking nature solves some of our most pressing problems, from reducing carbon emissions to saving water:

11:00am – 12:00 pm | Greenify Something In Your House: Take this time to change something in your house to make it “greener.” For example, change your bills from paper to electronic or replace inefficient incandescent light bulbs with efficient CFLs or LEDS.

Afternoon Schedule of Activities:

Noon-1:00pm | Eat your lunch outside: Grab your lunch and sit in your backyard, on your deck, on your front step, or anywhere else you can get to appreciate the outdoors.

1:00-2:00pm | Take a walk outside: Bring a trash bag and gloves to help beautify your neighborhood on this Earth Day. If you can’t get outside, consider planning for a future, bigger clean up event in the Fall through Project Clean Stream.

2:00-3:00pm | Work in your garden: What a great day to work in your garden! Visit the Native Plant Center for guidance on what plants will work best in your garden. And mark you calendars for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s Native Plant Social on September 12th!

3:00-4:00pm |Plant a tree: Native trees and shrubs help provide food and habitat for pollinators, birds, and other critters. Planting trees can also be a great way to engage and educate the whole family. Check with your local garden center to purchase a tree. Many nurseries are still open and offering curb-side pickup. Check out our Tree Talk videos on YouTube for help.

4:00-5:00pm: Utilize the Alliance’s Yard Design Tool to develop a plan to install a Rain Garden or Conservation Landscape in your yard! The tool can help you make a plan that is specific to your property and personal preferences, so you may need to go outside to dig, measure, and/or evaluate the conditions of your yard to answer questions throughout the tool.

5:00pm: Wind down for the day with a good book! Check out this list of recommended books about the Chesapeake Bay.

OR Learn something new! Check out some of these resources, videos, blogs, etc. from the Alliance.