Make Every Day Earth Day

Every year, people in cities and towns all over the world gather on Earth Day to acknowledge the grave danger posed by climate change to all plant and animal life on this planet and to take action.

Earth Day doesn’t have to be a one-day-a-year call to action. We can all take action every day, by ourselves or with others, in small ways or larger ones. Here are some ways to do that:

Bee the Solution

Bees, birds, bats, butterflies, beetles, and other pollinators play critical roles in food production, human health, and overall ecosystem function and health. Yet despite widespread declines in pollinator populations, there is not much research on how to protect these species.

You can help by joining Global Pollinator Watch—a home-based citizen science initiative designed to photograph and map pollinators in your neighborhoods so the data can be analyzed by pollinator scientists and used to find ways to combat pollinator declines worldwide.

There are many other ways to support pollinators both locally and globally. Read this blog to learn how to get involved and invest in these important species.

Get Your Hands Dirty and Clean Up

Find a local cleanup program and get busy. Here are a few that are coming up:

30th Annual Chicago River Day
Saturday, May 14, 9:00 am to Noon, Various Locations

Learn more and register here to volunteer with Friends of the Chicago River to help improve the health of the watershed and improve the environment for people, plants, and animals.

Urban Growers Collective
June, Various Dates and Locations

Dig your hands in the soil and learn how to grow food for the community by volunteering with the Urban Growers Collective. Learn more here.

Adopt-A-Beach
Various Dates and Locations

Sign up here to join Alliance for the Great Lakes for a beach cleanup.

Chicago Park District Stewardship Days
Various Dates and Locations

Visit this site to learn about volunteer opportunities at nearby city parks.

Forest Preserves of Cook County Stewardship Days
Various Dates and Locations

Visit this site to learn about volunteer opportunities at Cook County forest preserves like the Brookfield Prairie & Woods, located near the Health Sciences Campus.

Friends of the Forest Preserves Volunteer Workdays
Various Dates and Locations

Visit this site to learn about volunteer opportunities at nearby forest preserves like the Kickapoo Woods or Bunker Hill North Flatwoods.

Recycle, Repurpose, Replace

Get rid of those plastics. See our regular feature Waste Not, Want Not and articles on Pitching Plastic.