Earth Day 2020 lands in the middle of stay-at-home policies, social distancing, and video conferencing. None of these things are conducive to celebrating Earth Day in traditional ways. The year 2020 brings us to the 50th anniversary of this day we use to celebrate the place we live, work, and play. So this year various organizations and agencies have come up with wonderful ways to still be involved. Here are some suggestions:
- This is the big one, go to the Earth Day 2020 website to watch informed speakers talk about issues facing the planet today. (EarthDayLive) You can also find digital events in your geographic area or area of interest here.
- Many parks in Arkansas are still open including state parks. Go enjoy a trail responsibly. Bring gloves and a trash bag, pick up trash in the parks and along the trails. Put your gloves on at the trailhead, pick up trash and touch nothing else including yourself. At the end of the hike, take the gloves off from the wrist and place them in your trash bag, and put the whole thing in a proper trash receptacle. Next, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before touching anything else.
- Arkansas State Parks has some wonderful videos loaded on their Digital Discovery Page. Watch a stream running at Lake Fort Smith State Park or enjoy the sunset at Lake Dardanelle State Park. Also, take some time to enjoy blogs and photo essays around various parks.
- You can also check with local trail advocacy groups to see how you can help today or in the future. You can find a list of these groups in this article.
Whatever you decide to do, we hope you find a way to celebrate our home.
