Online Resources for Earth Day

Earth day is celebrated every year on April 22. Environmentalists consider it so important that they make "every day Earth day". A wonderful idea; Earth day is a celebration of Mother Nature, our earth and its resources and our part in it. Earth day is a day of hopeful inspiration for all to literally clean up their acts and do their part with proper trash disposal, recycling, reducing energy consumption and overall, just being green.

Nationwide, community events take place locally on the eco-friendly holiday. Schoolteachers typically include Earth day in the students lesson plan at least for the day. There is enough information and ideas online for activists, teachers and students to spread Earth day awareness over many days. Taking care of the environment is a lesson that must be thought of frequently for noticeable change to take place.

Websites for History and Background

Visit the US Environmental Protection Agency for a great history lesson. They chronologically cover Earth day from the very first one in 1970 and track it's progress and key political and environmental events to current day.

Read a letter from Earth day's founder Senator Gaylord Nelson to hear how the first Earth Day came about and the events in the late 1960's that lead up to the first spectacular event.

Don't overlook Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for more historical information, trivia and links.

Websites for Local Community Events

Community involvement is not limited to April 22. Visit Keep America Beautiful for community events listings in your local area, information about the Great American Cleanup and how to volunteer.

More resources for local participation can be found by using the search tool on Earth 911 or by browsing the Event Calendar provided by Envirolink to find or post Earth day activities in your area.

Websites for Instructional Lesson Plans

Earth day lesson plans can cover any environmental topic and include songs, crafts, group discussions, science experiments and community involvement. Earth day lesson plans can be coordinated with other teachers and classes for integrated school projects.