Your daily life, not to mention holidays and celebrations, has probably been looking a lot different from your norm recently. Schools are closed, nonessential employees are staying safe at home and your pets are probably wondering when they’ll get a break from all the attention you’re giving them.
Even though you might not be able to enjoy the beaches or national parks in their full glories this Earth Day, you can still pay homage to your home planet.
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If you’re like me and love to celebrate all the green and gorgeous things Mother Nature has provided us, put on your hiking socks (no boots needed) and check out the resources below to fill your Earth Day with all things natural.
Celebrate #EarthDayAtHome with NASA
Calling all earthlings: NASA is inviting you to take part in their Earth Day celebrations, and no ticket to outer space is required.
NASA has created special social media channels and has curated new content across its site to show you exactly how their astronauts and scientists view the Earth from both inside and outside our atmosphere.
According to CBS, the space agency is hosting a special “NASA Science Live” broadcast featuring environmental experts exploring topics like green technology and coral reefs and posting a new YouTube playlist that features a series of short videos from Earth science experts.
NASA is also hosting a live Q&A session from the International Space Station, hosting a live Q&A session on its Tumblr blog, and letting astronaut Jessica Meir, who recently returned from the ISS, take over its Instagram.
You can find all that earth (and space) content right here.
Upcycle plastic items into eco-friendly crafts
The Ocean Conservancy has put together how-to DIY tutorials on ways you can upcycle some of your plastic waste into crafts that will help eliminate plastic pollution.
Head to your recycling bin and grab some of your larger plastic waste items to make these crafts:
- Plastic Bottle Greenhouse (if you’re feeling incredibly ambitious)
Get a breath of fresh air at a national park
Well, you can’t visit a national park in person this year, but you can open your windows, take a deep breath and stream live feeds straight from some of America’s most beautiful, natural wonders.
The National Parks Service has installed discreet cameras across their historic sites so you can take a virtual tour right from your sofa.
While you might not be able to dip your toes in the warm waters of Hot Springs National Park or feel the waves at the Channel Islands National Park, you can try to spot wildlife and listen to the sounds of nature from their webcams.
The National Park Foundation has come up with a list of activities you can do right from your home to help fill that fresh mountain air void this Earth Day. You can find that list here.
Brush up on your natural history with a virtual museum tour
The American Museum of Natural History kept families in mind when planning their all-day online festival honoring the planet.
Throughout the day the museum, based in New York, is hosting a variety of live videos covering topics all related to Mother Nature.
Here’s a rundown of only a few of the many watch-party based videos the museum will be hosting on Earth Day:
12 p.m. - Field Trip Earth: LIVE Watch Party
3 p.m. - Bash the Trash Live! Music Party
8 p.m. - Earth Trivia! A Toast to the Planet! (With Neil deGrasse Tyson)
Collaborate with scientists to help the planet from your smartphone
Want to collaborate with some of the world’s leading scientists to find new and better ways to help Planet Earth? You can download all the scientific tools you need right to your smartphone.
Earth Challenge 2020 is an initiative to use existing citizen science projects and builds capacity for new ones — all to grow citizen science worldwide, according to the initiative’s website.
The purpose of the app is to help you gather scientific data that already exists around you using mobile technology and open citizen science data.
Earth Challenge 2020 says it wants to empower people around the world to monitor and mitigate threats to environmental and human health in their communities.
All you have to do is download the app, and begin collecting data on air quality and plastic pollution in your community with the help of your smartphone.
You can download the Earth Challenge 2020 app here.
Get outside
Is there any better way to celebrate nature than by getting out and enjoying it?
Grab your favorite walking buddy or spend some alone time reflecting on everything we have to be thankful for this Earth Day.
From the trees to the breeze, and even the bees, thank Mother Earth for all her generosity by stopping to smell the roses.