EarthView at the State House 2020

Updated Earth Day, April 22



Every year since we acquired EarthView in 2008, we have taken our portable globe classroom to the Massachusetts State House during Earth Week. Our geography faculty, students, and alumni -- along with in-service teachers and student volunteers -- have taken the opportunity to talk about geography with legislators, students, tourists, and marathon runners from all over the world.

This year, sadly, we cannot celebrate Earth Day in person, but we join people from all over the world in virtual celebrations. Please enjoy our greeting video above and then explore some of the Earth Day links gathered by our geography students.

https://www.earthday.org/take-action-now/

Learn more about Earth Day from the Living On Earth interview with Dennis Hayes, the 1970 national coordinator of the day, who remains very much involved in the celebration.

From Sen. Anne Gobi's Earth Day Greetings

From Sen. Anne Gobi -- who has hosted many of our State House visits -- we learn that Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution stipulates:

The people shall have the right to clean air and water, freedom from excessive and unnecessary noise, and the natural, scenic, historic, and esthetic qualities of their environment; and the protection of the people in their right to the conservation, development and utilization of the agricultural, mineral, forest, water, air and other natural resources is hereby declared to be a public purpose.

For those who have not seen EarthView in action, we recommend this short video by one of our long-term teaching partners.



On the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day, this year's celebration poses unique challenges for people worldwide. With many celebrations being cancelled and social distancing being required, remote celebrations are necessary. Below are resources for families, children, and individuals to get involved.

• Get connected with nature virtually. The iNaturalist smartphone app allows the user to scan various forms of wildlife and find out information about insects, animals, or plants. There is also a children's version of the app called Seek by iNaturalist that lets kiddos scan wildlife and earn badges as they get immersed in the nature around them. The best part is that so much nature can be found in your own backyard, which helps make social distancing easier! Full Version of App  Children's App     
• If you are looking for a more hands on Earth Day experience, this article provides many ways for adults and kids to get involved. The ideas in this article range for conventional Earth Day activities like cleaning up litter, composting, and planting a tree. Or more out of the box ideas like creating a bug hotel and a nature collage. Get crafty! article 
• Participate in EarthDay.org's 24 hours of action. For the entirety of April 22, for each hour of the day there will be a new way to remotely promote positive changes for the plant. Such as sounding the call for climate action by ringing a bell or blowing a horn outside or sharing your favorite message of hope for the planet with a photograph of the Earth. 
  
• Some other at home activities for Earth Day are eating dinner by candlelight to conserve electricity, educate yourself on sustainable seafood, or camp in your backyard. Article There is also an Earth Month Scavenger Hunt to the left that is fun for all ages. 

Another fun thing to do on Earth Day is look back and see how far Earth Day celebration has come in 50 years. Here is a link to a CBS New special covering the first ever Earth Day in 1970.  Video 

Enjoy your Earth Day at home! Remember although we can't celebrate together, we can still be together online. Our small efforts at home make a big difference worldwide!  

Thank you to  students in our new Advanced Global Thinking class for sharing these great resources with us! One of those students advised her own children as part of stay-at-home education: Hug Trees, Not Each Other!