Word of the day for earth day

День Земли — это серия весенних экологических акций, которая ежегодно проходит в США с 1970-х годов. Международным праздник стал лишь в 2009-м по инициативе Организации Объединенных Наций. РБК Life рассказывает, почему отмечать День Земли может каждый и как это сделать.

Какого числа День Земли

День Земли отмечают во всем мире ежегодно 22 апреля. В 2023 году дата приходится на субботу.

Официальное название праздника — Международный день матери-Земли (International Mother Earth Day), однако в России и многих других странах он известен под названием День Земли (Earth Day).

Дело в том, что впервые День Земли отметили в 1970-м в США. Тогда же установили дату — 22 апреля. Постепенно с годами к мероприятию присоединялись и другие страны [1]. Лишь в 2009-м ООН решила объединить серию экологических акций во всем мире и приняла резолюцию, согласно которой 22 апреля стал официальным праздником — Международным днем матери-Земли. Первый День матери-Земли отметили в 2010-м [2].

История Дня Земли

Появлением праздник обязан американцу Гейлорду Нельсону — именно его называют отцом Дня Земли. Демократ Нельсон в 1963-м был назначен сенатором штата Висконсин и стал уделять большое внимание проблемам окружающей среды. В 1968-м в США с небывалой силой бушевали студенческие протесты против войны во Вьетнаме, а в 1969-м произошел крупный разлив нефти в Санта-Барбаре, Калифорния. Нельсон решил направить энергию антивоенного движения на формирование экологического общественного сознания.

Он убедил конгрессмена-республиканца Пита Макклоски, который также выступал за сохранение природы, и активиста Дениса Хейса организовать новое экологическое движение. Они выбрали 22 апреля (рабочий день между весенними каникулами и выпускными экзаменами), чтобы собрать в кампусах студентов и устроить масштабные экологические акции: открытые лекции, субботники и другие мероприятия. В 1970-м прошел первый День Земли.

Акция была настолько успешной, что ею заинтересовались крупнейшие СМИ, а после первого Дня Земли в США создали Агентство по охране окружающей среды и приняли ряд законов об охране природы (например, об экологическом образовании и о чистом воздухе) [1], [3].

Alex Wong / Getty Images

Бывший сенатор США и губернатор штата Висконсин Гейлорд Нельсон, также известный как отец Дня Земли

Со временем День Земли становился все популярнее. В 1990-м американская акция впервые стала международной. Один из создателей первого праздника экологии Денис Хейс организовал волонтеров, которые привлекли ко Дню Земли более 200 млн человек во всем мире, в том числе в СССР. Успех и интерес к акции способствовал тому, что в 1992-м ООН провела Саммит Земли в Рио-де-Жанейро, где были рассмотрены главные проблемы экологии.

В 1995-м президент США Билл Клинтон за идею и организацию Дня Земли наградил тогда уже бывшего сенатора Гейлорда Нельсона президентской медалью Свободы — высшей наградой, присуждаемой гражданским лицам в Соединенных Штатах.

Кампанией оригинального праздника День Земли сейчас занимается американское движение Earth Day. Оно работает со 150 тыс. партнеров в 192 странах [4].

Весенние экологические акции заинтересовали Организацию Объединенных Наций. В 2009-м ООН приняла резолюцию и признала 22 апреля Международным днем матери-Земли (International Mother Earth Day) [2].

Символ Дня Земли

Официального символа и флагов Дня Земли и Международного дня матери-Земли нет. Однако активисты используют для привлечения к акции изображения планеты, листка, дерева или знак переработки. Обычно их изображают в естественных природных цветах — зеленом, коричневом или синем [5].

Большой популярностью на акциях пользуется экологический флаг с семью белыми полосами на зеленом фоне и с символом, напоминающим греческую букву Θ (тета). Прообраз флага создал американец Рон Кобб в 1969-м. Изначально он был похож на американский: по задумке, зеленый цвет обозначает нетронутую землю, белый — чистый воздух [6]. Впоследствии на него вместо звезд США добавили символ Θ — на самом деле это соединенные буквы «e» и «o» от английских слов environment (окружающая среда) и organism (организм).

Впоследствии на акциях, посвященных Дню Земли, стал появляться упрощенный вариант — с символом Θ. Принято изображать зеленую тету на белом фоне.

Также на экологических акциях пользуются популярностью флаги Земли. Один из них разработал Джон МакКоннелл. Его флаг — это двустороннее изображение планеты из космоса (первая фотография Земли) на темно-синем фоне, нанесенное на перерабатываемый, устойчивый к атмосферным воздействиям полиэстер [5].

Акции и события в День Земли

22 апреля во всем мире проходят экологические акции, субботники, лекции и другие мероприятия. В 2023-м День Земли посвящен необходимости «инвестировать в нашу планету» (Invest In Our Planet) [7]. Организаторы акции считают, что это можно сделать с помощью посадки деревьев, уборок, прекращения использования пластика и распространения устойчивой моды.

Участники движения Earth Day призывают в День Земли присоединиться ко всемирной кампании «Великая глобальная уборка» (The Great Global Cleanup). Она направлена на то, чтобы избавить окружающую среду от отходов и загрязнения пластиком [8].

В День Земли по всей планете звучит Колокол мира — символ мирной жизни и солидарности народов. Первый из них установили в 1954-м в Штаб-квартире ООН (Нью-Йорк). 22 апреля звук колокола призывает людей на планете приложить больше усилий к защите мира и сохранению экологии. В России Колокол мира, который звучит в День Земли, установлен в 2009-м на территории музея Николая Рериха в Новосибирске [9].

You found our list of virtual Earth Day ideas.

Earth Day is on April 22. The purpose of the holiday is to celebrate nature and educate people about conservation and environmentalism. Schools and businesses observe the occasion by planting trees, making charitable donations, and learning about the planet.

Online Earth Day activities are a subset of virtual group celebrations, and work well as online classroom activities. You can also throw virtual Easter parties in April.

This article includes:

• virtual Earth Day activities for work
• Earth Day Zoom activities
• Earth Day virtual games for students

Here we go!

List of Earth Day ideas

From games to online classes, here are easy ways to celebrate Earth Day in virtual offices or classrooms.

1. Word Search

Word searches are fun Earth day games that can serve as meeting warm ups or classroom activities. Players solve the puzzle by finding words vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. To play in a more Earth-friendly way, ask players to circle the words on a whiteboard or digital whiteboard instead of printing out individual copies.

Here is a fun Earth Day Word Search template to play with:

For more language fun, check out our full list of word games.

2. Online Earth Day Bingo

Bingo is one of the easiest Environment Day activity ideas. First, give players cards. Then, urge participants to talk to each other. Players mark the names of participants to whom the descriptions apply. To win the game, players must mark five consecutive boxes, and cannot use the same name twice in one row, column, or diagonal.

Here is an Earth Day Bingo card template to use for your game:

There are variations of Bingo you can play to make the game more interesting. For example, speed Bingo, where players race to complete the card as quickly as possible. Or, round robin Bingo, where each teammate takes a turn announcing one square that applies to them, and the first player who gets five boxes in a row wins.

For more card templates, check out Online Team Building Bingo.

3. Word Jumble

Word Jumbles are games that challenge players to decode mixed messages. We made a nature-themed puzzle you can use for Earth Day.

You can turn the game into a race by displaying the clues, and challenging players to unscramble as many words as possible within a minute. Or, have participants work in pairs or small groups to solve the clues, and reward the first team to finish.

4. Nature Hike Photo Scavenger Hunt

Hikes are one of the most popular Earth-friendly activities for Environment Day. To encourage your group to go outside, get exercise, and explore nature, give your students or staff a photo scavenger hunt to complete.

We created a template with prompts you can use:

Participants upload photos to a shared online photo album. At the end of the day, count up the submissions, and name the player with the most list items the winner. You could also give honorable mentions and special prizes to interesting or beautiful photos.

For more clues, check out our collection of virtual scavenger hunt lists.

5. Earth Day Trivia

Earth Day is about education and awareness. You can test your crew’s eco-knowledge and make learning fun by playing online Earth Day Trivia.

We created a template of starter questions you can use for your game.

First invite participants to a video call, and then divide attendees into teams. You can randomly assign guests to breakout rooms to simplify the team formation process. Teams can work together in the breakout room to answer the list of questions within the time limit. Or, you can call the groups back to the main room and award points to the first team who answers correctly.

For more tips, check out our guide to virtual trivia.

6. Online Tour

Online tours are one of the best virtual Earth Day ideas. You and your crew can explore nature preserves, zoos, parks, gardens, forests, and environmental wonders without leaving home, the office, or the classroom. Some of these experiences are self-led, while expert guides lead others via Zoom.

Here are some great online Earth Day tours:

• The Wild Center
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Yellowstone National Park
• Kenai Fjords National Park
• Florida Everglades
• Kruger National Park
• Mangrove Forest and Bird Sanctuary
• Lone Koala Pine Sanctuary
• Busselton Jetty
• Recycling Facility

Check out our full list of virtual tours of national parks.

7. Recycle Drive

Recycle Drives are one of the best Earth Day event ideas. Simply ask participants to bring recyclable items to a designated location. Be sure to set up bins for each type of material. It helps to print clear signs and instructions and prepare mini lessons to educate guests about recycling best practices. You can also include donation bins so that attendees can giveaway gently used items to folks in need. One way to elevate the event is to offer recycling services for hard-to-dispose-of items like batteries or electronics.

If your team is remote, then you can still hold a recycling drive by asking participants to show their recyclables via Zoom call or photo upload. There are several services that facilitate recycling by mail. You can pass along these resources to your group and offer to cover shipping costs.

8. Animal Visits

Animal visits are one of the most exciting Earth Day activities for kids or adults. Whether in-person or virtual, these visits give audiences up close access to exotic animals and a chance to learn about animal habits and habitats.

To schedule a critter visit, reach out to an animal organization such as a zoo, farm, animal sanctuary, wildlife preserve, or park. Planning at least a month in advance is a good idea, since these types of activities are in high demand around Earth day.

Either arrange for animal keepers or trainers to bring creatures into your classroom or office, or book a live performance and question and answer session via Zoom. Be sure to take plenty of pictures as the event occurs!

9. Symbolic Animal Adoptions

Conservation and animal protection is a major part of Earth Day. One way celebrants can contribute meaningfully to this cause is by symbolically adopting an animal. This approach involves participants donating money to help with animal conservation. Donors typically pick an endangered species, send a monthly amount, and receive updates on the organization’s efforts to protect those animals.

Here are some organizations that offer animal adoptions:

• Wildlife Alliance
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
• World Animal Foundation
• Nikela Organization
• Defenders of Wildlife
• Sierra Club

One of the best parts of this activity is that it is ongoing. Animal sponsors receive wildlife photos and news yearlong, keeping environmental preservation on folks long beyond Earth Day.

10. Composting classes

Composting classes are one of the most interesting Earth Day activities for adults. Not many folks know how to compost at home. The practice is easy to learn and to do, and yields many benefits for both the environment and practitioners. For example, compost soil is great for gardens. Compost can deter insects without harmful chemicals, and gives plants extra nutrients.

To hold a composting class, recruit a seminar leader. You could either invite an expert to talk the group through the process, or follow a video tutorial or basic instructions, like this EPA composting guide. Be sure to gather basic materials, or send participants lists of supplies.

The basic ingredients for compost are:

1. Carbon-rich “Brown” materials like leaves, shredded newspaper, or twigs
2. Nitrogen-rich “Green” materials like fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee or tea grounds, and garden weeds
3. Oxygen
4. Water

To help students practice their newly-learned skills, start an in-office or classroom compost bin or hold a virtual composting challenge.

11. Upcycling craft classes

Upcycling is the art of turning a used possession into a new product. By hosting upcycling craft classes, you encourage participants to consider how they might repurpose everyday objects into art.

To hold your class, first pick a project, then schedule a time for the class. Either provide the necessary materials or a shopping stipend. Then, gather in person or on Zoom and create together.

Here are a few upcycling project ideas:

• Chip bag wallets or purses
• Tin can organizers
• Wine bottle or cork planters
• Magazine coasters
• T-shirt tote bags
• Necktie pouches
• Reclaimed wood picture frames
• Collages or mosaics

Here is a list of more upcycle craft ideas with links to instructions. For similar activities, check out our list of online art classes.

12. Litterless lunches

Litterless lunches are meals that produce little or no waste. Takeout involves environment-harming styrofoam boxes and plastic cutlery, and many pre-packaged foods come in plastic containers. To cut down on waste, hold litterless lunches where participants make meals from scratch. For hygienic reasons, chefs can have fresh meats and fish wrapped in paper. Otherwise, the meal should produce no trash. Participants can shop for groceries using cloth bags and use fresh fruits and vegetables. If possible, then buy grains like rice in bulk, or else recycle the cardboard boxes afterwards. Also, diners should use washable glassware and utensils instead of plastic cutlery.

You could even turn your lunch into a group cooking experience by swapping recipes and cooking together. Check out our full list of online cooking classes for inspiration.

13. Volunteering

Volunteering is one of the best Earth Day employee engagement ideas that connects celebrants with the holiday’s cause. Giving back is also a great way for community and students groups to spend the holiday. You and your crew can volunteer for an environmental project.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Clean up litter
• Plant trees
• Tend to a community garden
• Sort recycling
• Sponsor a donation drive
• Participate in a river cleanup
• Collect compostable materials
• Run a pop-up farmers market
• Install low-energy lightbulbs
• Help out at a local zoo or animal sanctuary
• Teach an eco-workshop

Even if you oversee a dispersed group, you can pledge to perform the same activity or number of charity hours, then meet up afterwards to swap stories, pictures, and reflections.

Check out our full list of virtual volunteer opportunities.

14. Charity Donations

Contributing to charity is one of the best Earth Day activities for remote offices. First, choose an environmental organization.

Here are some Earth Day nonprofit suggestions:

• Oceana
• WildAid
• Green America
• Friends of the Earth
• World Wildlife Fund
• Toxic-Free Future
• The Ocean Foundation
• The Wetlands Initiative
• Trees, Water, & People
• Center for Biological Diversity
• Polar Bears International
• Amazon Conservation Basin
• World Resources Institute
• Sierra Club Foundation
• Environmental Defense Fund

Feel free to also support smaller and more-locally based environmental philanthropies. You could either ask staff to vote on one or two organizations to donate to, or offer to match employee donations up to a certain amount.

You could also run a philanthropy event to raise money for conservation causes. For tips, check out our list of virtual fundraising ideas.

15. Terrarium Building

Terrariums are mini gardens in glass containers, like aquariums for plants. Terrarium building is one of the funner ways to celebrate Earth Day remotely. First, invite guests to a Zoom meeting. Then, mail confirmed participants terrarium kits, or send supply shopping lists and offer to reimburse the cost of materials.

Basic terrarium kits include the following supplies:

• Glass bowl, jar, or container
• Moss
• Dirt
• Sand
• Pebbles
• Succulents
• Decorations such as plastic toys

You could either buy supplies in bulk and assemble the kits yourself, or pre-order terrarium starter kits. To ensure that the materials arrive in time, aim for a delivery date a few days before the class.

On Earth Day, meet up with your team via video call and assemble the garden-scapes together. You can use terrariums to illustrate lessons on habitats. Terrarium-building also functions as an unlikely yet fun activity for virtual events.

16. We Care Packages

We Care Packages are a play on the traditional care package, where every item is kind to both the recipient and the environment.

Some suggestions on what to include:

• Seeds
• Metal straws
• Reusable shopping totes
• Collapsible cups and bottles
• Fair trade snacks
• Samples of green cleaning products
• Wool dryer balls
• Cruelty-free, all-natural soaps and lotions
• Low energy lightbulbs
• Lists of environmental tips

Many promotional vendors carry these kinds of products, meaning you could even get items branded with your company or school logo.

Care packages are one example of virtual engagement ideas.

17. Remote Picnics

Even if your group celebrates the holiday virtually, you can score outdoor time on Earth Day. Simply schedule a remote team lunch, and specify that participants must eat outside. Attendees can join the call from their backyards, a park, a beach, or the patio of a restaurant. Guests can join the call via mobile app, or dial in via phone. Group members show off or describe their dishes, eat together, and chat. Bonus points if diners opt for healthy and earth-friendly meals!

This activity encourages folks to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine for an hour or two instead of working inside all day. If possible, then offer a stipend to help cover food costs.

If the group cannot dine together at the same time, then encourage invitees to eat outside and upload photos to a group album.

18. Virtual Science Labs

Virtual science labs are among the best online environment activities for kids. Using Zoom, you can conduct experiments with students or science-loving adults.

Here are a few environmental science project ideas:

• Sort garbage into proper categories
• Build a bee box or bird feeder
• Plant a garden or germinate seeds
• Dissect virtual animals
• Analyze tap water quality
• Identify characteristics of rocks and soil from outside
• Estimate how long household objects will take to decompose
• Keep a diary of electricity or water used over the course of day or week

If there are any pre-meeting steps or preparations needed, then send clear instructions to invitees. On Earth Day, meet up on Zoom to finish your experiments and discuss the results.

Depending on the age of the audience, you could make the lesson more basic or more complex. You could also use digital science lab software to run the lesson.

Or, you and your crew could watch reruns of Bill Nye the Science Guy together on Zoom. 🙂

19. Earth Day This or That

This or That is a game that asks players to choose between two related options. The point of the exercise is to share preferences and find common ground. Plus, sometimes a player must make a difficult decision.

Here are some Earth Day This or That questions:

• Rain or Sun?
• Walk or Bike?
• Land or Sea?
• Mountain or Ocean?
• Fields or Woods?
• Winter or Summer?
• Spring or Fall?
• Birds or Reptiles?
• Fruits or Vegetables?
• Dolphins or Sharks?
• Penguins or Polar Bears?
• Lions or Tigers?
• Panda Bear or Koala Bear?
• Garden or Meadow?
• Recycle or Compost?
• Rainforest or Jungle?
• Local or Fair Trade?
• Solar Power or Electric?
• Trees or Flowers?
• Hiking or Cloud Gazing?

Check out our full list of This or That questions.

Conclusion

Earth Day is a holiday that everyone can celebrate. We all live on the same planet, and have equal duty to protect and preserve the environment. Earth Day transcends borders, cultures, religions, and lifestyles, giving folks a shared cause and common ground. The universality of the holiday makes it one of the best occasions to observe at work or school. Taking time out of the busy workday or school day to focus on the environment reminds employees and students that nature is important and deserves attention.

Next, check out our guide to online employee wellness programs and this one with virtual team engagement activities.