Can you believe it’s been 50 years since the first celebrated Earth Day?
After witnessing a large oil spill in California in 1969, and with further inspiration by the student anti-war movement, Wisconsin’s Senator Gaylord Nelson wanted to inspire that same energy into the public’s emerging consciousness about environmental pollution. Hayes built a national staff and included a wide range of organizations to promote planned events on April 22 in environmental advocacy. They named the upcoming day Earth Day, caught the attention of the national media, and the idea spread across the country. The first Earth Day in 1970 Earth Day inspired 20 million Americans to demonstrate against the negative impacts of 150 years of industrial development. Thanks to EarthDay.org for this history lesson, and read more here.
Today, we are faced with an interesting Earth Day while many of us shelter at home in the wake of COVID-19. Trails and parks may be closed, but people all over the world are rallying as stewards of the planet.
EarthDay.org is providing a full day’s live stream of programs and events that people can engage with while celebrating #earthdayathome.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has a live YouTube Premier at 4:30 pm PST / 7:30 pm Eastern about the ocean’s twilight zone – from 200 to 1,000 m depth, the life that exists there and how to explore it.
And finally, Sequoia is so grateful for everyone who expressed interest in providing a home to our sequoia seedlings that were stranded in Germany due to the virus. Our first batch of trees are being shipped out to their new homes today! Thank you!