Celebrating Earth Day with Action

Earth Day is the best time of the year to celebrate our planet and pitch in to make it a better and more livable place. With so much happening in the political sphere—the dismantling of Obama’s landmark Clean Power Plan, the appointment of Scott Pruitt to head the EPA, the mandate of which he believes needs to be severely curtailed, and the growing momentum toward public lands transfers to state control, where their management will be subject to state budget constraints—it is as important as ever to get involved in Earth Day this year.

Get involved individually by hosting a neighborhood cleanup or having a barbecue and donating proceeds to environmental non-profits like the Sierra Club or The Nature Conservancy. The National Forest Foundation, for instance, has a goal to plant 2,500 trees this week to honor Earth Day and their 25th anniversary, and you can sponsor a tree for only $1. You can also direct your focus toward that backyard garden you’ve been meaning to plant for a decade, as well.

Not for nothing, the spring is in full swing, too, and we’ve been publishing adventure ideas since the sun rose on 2017. Our #52WeekAdventureChallenge has at least several hundred options for a proper Earth Day celebration, and new adventures are being published daily. (Find them in the Featured Adventures section below.)

But it is the season for collective action, and if this past election year has demonstrated anything, it is that there is a strong and growing counter-movement to protect a positive land ethic and preserve the spirit of adventure that we love at the Outdoor Project. The events of Earth Day weekend, which unfolds on Saturday, April 22, include gatherings big and small.

Foremost among these is the March for Science, an international movement to celebrate the sciences and rally around the important role that it plays in how we build our society—and craft environmental policy. Thousands are expected to join in metro areas and small towns across the country and throughout the world.

• In Oregon, the march will take place in towns across the state from Ashland to Astoria. The Oregon Environmental Council has a roundup of the locations outside of Portland. The Portland event starts at Tom McCall Waterfront Park at the Morrison Bridge at 10 a.m. and will feature live music and a science expo. The march through downtown begins at 11 a.m.
• Seattle will host its march at Cal Anderson Park, starting at 10 a.m.
• In San Francisco, the March for Science begins at Justin Herman Plaza at 11 a.m. Among the many distinguished attendees: Adam Savage of Mythbusters.
• The Los Angeles march begins at Pershing Square at 11 a.m. and will end at City Hall. An expo will take place from 9:00-4:00 p.m.
• The Denver march begins at 10 a.m at Civic Center Park.

Interested in small or volunteer events? Check out our challenge to give back. There's no shortage of ways to honor the Earth on April 22 - so take your pick and spend Earth Day outside this year! Keep in mind that this is not a complete list of Earth Day celebrations, just some examples to get you thinking and moving in the right direction; if you have anything you'd like to add, feel free to share in the comment section below.