Earth Day is celebrated every year in April to celebrate nature and its beauty and bring awareness to environmental concerns ongoing worldwide. Earth Day serves as a way for individuals globally to re-connect with nature and provides opportunities for people to get outside and educate themselves within their communities. Earth Day was founded in 1970 as a day dedicated to education about environmental issues as a response to the environmental crisis and spread to become a global movement for climate action. Earth Day continues to bring awareness of environmental issues including climate change, air quality, invasive species, and species population decline both locally and globally.
Here in Florida, there is a lot of work being done to help stop the decline of native animal populations by helping protect and restore native habitats for these species, working to study and manage non-native and invasive species throughout the state and decrease the impact urban development has had on native habitats. This includes working to protect and restore the Everglades, one of the largest wetlands in North America that provides clean drinking water for millions of people and habitats for over 2000 species of plants and animals including birds, turtles, and alligators. Currently, the Everglades is around a third of its original size with much of its flow inhibited by previous dredging and draining to allow for urban development.
Ways to Celebrate Earth Day:
Look around your community for local events
Often local communities or businesses will host events around this time to celebrate nature and Earth Day
Visit a local nature center or natural area
Around local communities there are areas and centers that serve to educate and assist native populations in these communities year-round
Explore outdoor areas
Take a hike