“Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment…It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year... The first Earth Day had participants and celebrants in two thousand colleges and universities, roughly ten thousand primary and secondary schools, and hundreds of communities across the United States. More importantly, it ‘brought 20 million Americans out into the spring sunshine for peaceful demonstrations in favor of environmental reform.’
“Senator Nelson stated that Earth Day ‘worked’ because of the response at the grassroots level. Twenty-million demonstrators and thousands of schools and local communities participated. He directly credited the first Earth Day with persuading U.S. politicians that environmental legislation had a substantial, lasting constituency. Many important laws were passed by Congress in the wake of the 1970 Earth Day, including the Clean Air Act, wild lands and the ocean, and the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
“It is now observed in 175 countries, and coordinated by the nonprofit Earth Day Network, according to whom Earth Day is now ‘the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more than a half billion people every year.’ Environmental groups have sought to make Earth Day into a day of action which changes human behavior and provokes policy changes.” (
Wikipedia)
More on the history of Earth Day can be found
here.
Events taking place in honor of the 40th Earth Day:
Note: Most of the following information has been pasted directly from other sources in order to advertise these events, so we do not claim credit for writing the information about each one.
- Monday, April 12 (Not really part of Earth Week...part of Earth Month!)
Green Event - Reuse/Recycle at the Discovery Shop
Location:
American Cancer Society Discovery Shop
1987 A Santa Rita Rd. Pleasanton
Hours: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
(925) 462-7374
The Discovery Shop is a thrift store/consignment store on Santa Rita (next to Filigree Cakes & Pastries). They are having a "green" event, likely due to the proximity to Earth Week. You never know what neat things you'll find there!
- Saturday, April 17
Livermore Earth Day Celebration
8:30 AM – 11:30 AM (Volunteer community clean up)
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Earth Day Celebration)
Location: Robertson Park, 3200 Robertson Park Road, Livermore.
The goal of this volunteer community clean up, non-profit event is to recognize, celebrate and promote the region’s unique beauty and to educate the public regarding how to conserve, preserve and protect our local and global resources. Free event.
Earth Day at Forest Home Farms
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Forest Home Farms, 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd., San Ramon.
(between the Bollinger and Alcosta exits off the 680 freeway)
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day while helping to spruce up Forest Home Farms Historic Park for spring! There'll be projects in the vegetable garden, the wildlife garden and around the farm. Bring your own gloves and garden tools. Refreshments will be provided.
This is a FREE, volunteer event perfect for scout groups and service clubs.
Earth Day Santa Cruz 2010
Once again the County of Santa Cruz, the City of Santa Cruz, Ecology Action, Save Our Shores, local non-profits, and concerned citizens are working together to make Earth Day 2010 the premier environmental event for the greater Santa Cruz community, with educational information, activities for kids, live music and a focus on green businesses. Come join us for this fun-filled celebration!
Earth Day 2010 will take place on 11am to 4pm rain or shine in the San Lorenzo Park and Benchlands behind the County building.
For more information on the event contact:
Amy Gross, Environmental Programs Coordinator; County of Santa Cruz, Dept. of Public Works
(831-477-3988) amy.gross@co.santa-cruz.ca.us
Earth Day Celebration/Restoration Work Day at the Richardson Bay Audubon Center
9am-11pm.
Location: Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary, 376 Greenwood Beach Road, Tiburon, CA 94920
Celebrate Earth Day by bringing your family and friends for a morning of restoration and clean-up at the Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary. We may be removing trash, invasive plants, helping with restoration projects, or improving trails. Appropriate for young children. Children 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Please bring a re-useable water bottle, wear appropriate clothing and close-toe shoes. FREE program. RSVP: 388-2524.
- Sunday, April 18
Earth Day Celebration at the Headlands Institute
11am-4pm.
Location: 1033 Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965
Join us to learn new ways that you and your family can be environmental stewards!
- Enjoy naturalist-led hikes across the coastal hills.
- Take part in stewardship projects to support the park’s natural environment.
- Create your own Earth Day-inspired arts and crafts.
- A healthy snack will be provided. Please bring your own water bottles.
FREE, drop-in program; Registration appreciated, but not required:
http://www.naturebridge.org/headlands/family-programs-registration
- Wednesday, April 21
AVHS Environmental Club presents Flow
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: AVHS multipurpose room
Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis. Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.
Free admission; popcorn, cookies and water will be sold.
- Thursday, April 22 (Earth Day!)
Pleasanton’s Museum On Main Street's "Sustainability: Then and Now" Lecture
Lecture begins at 7 p.m.
Location: Lynnewood United Methodist Church, 4444 Black Avenue, Pleasanton
The Museum On Main Street Ed Kinney Lecture Series presents "Sustainability: Then and Now" to celebrate Earth Day with Alviso Adobe Naturalist Eric Nichols, and Maria Lara, from the Office of Pleasanton's city manager, in a discussion of native, historical and current sustainability efforts. Admission is $5 members and seniors, $10 non-members, and $3 students and teachers with ID. Reservations are suggested; however, tickets may be purchased at the door.
For reservations and information call the museum on (925) 462-2766. The museum is located at 603 Main Street, Pleasanton. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, 1-4 p.m. Visit
http://www.museumonmain.org/.
Bay Area Discovery Museum Earth Day celebration
Day-long event
Location: Bay Area Discovery Museum at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area at E. Fort Baker, 557 McReynolds Road, Sausalito 94965
Nature-themed art projects and walks, conservation-based workshops, environmental guest scientists and plenty more help teach children the importance of the environment at the annual Earth Week Celebration. Adults: $10. Children & seniors: $8. Under 1 year old is free.
More information:
http://www.baykidsmuseum.org/
- Friday, April 23
Mohr Garden Work Day
Amador students will be field-tripped over to Mohr at lunchtime to visit with the kids and do some gardening. Details to be announced.
- Saturday, April 24
AVHS Jefferson Club’s “Environment Day”
10:30 AM
Location: Pleasanton Sports Park
Everyone is riding their bike there and the time spent cleaning up the park and picking up trash does count for graduation hours for you seniors who will still need hours by that point.
Talk to Mr. McCafferty (Jefferson Club advisor) for more information: mmccafferty@pleasanton.k12.ca.us
AVHS Leadership Environmental Commission Del Valle Cleanup
Location: Del Valle Reservoir.
(More information coming soon.)
Berkeley Earth Day
12 PM – 5 PM
Location: Civic Center Park, MLK & Allston in downtown Berkeley (near Berkeley BART)
Here's a tentative schedule of the day:
- Kid's Eco-art making area coordinated by the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse
- Over 150 booths representing businesses, craftspeople, community organizations, food vendors and government groups
- Demonstrations of alternative energy including electric cars, straw bale structures, hemp products, solar panels
- Berkeley Farmer's Market with mostly organic farmers
Night Hike with the Naturalist at Bernal Creek
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
All ages
Join the City Naturalist for an enchanting night hike as he introduces you to the trails and parks that make Pleasanton such a great place to live and explore. Learn about local wildlife, plants, habitats, tracking and much more. Dress with weather in mind. Children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult during the entire hike.
1 class $8.00Resident/$11.00Non-Resident
Activity code: 48072
More information:
http://www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/pdf/AG-winterspring2009.pdf
- Ongoing activities
Garden chores volunteering at the Alviso Adobe.
January 2, 2010 – December 18, 2010. Times: 10:00 – 11:00 AM.
Location: Alviso Adobe Community Park
Call to schedule a time to volunteer: 925-931-3483
Free; open to all ages. Come up to the Alviso Adobe Community Park and lend a helping hand. It’s a new park, with new plants, and that means new chores. Be a steward of the land as we plant, water and weed the garden. Native plants help native animals find food and shelter, so stop by and sift the soil through your fingers . . . it’ll be good for your soul.
Some facts from Water.org:
If you've never been to the Alviso Adobe Community Park, you're missing out on a real nature opportunity! Located on the site of the old Meadowlark Dairy (where the actual dairy itself was located, not the drive-thru) and the restored Alviso Adobe building, this interpretive nature center is run by the City of Pleasanton's naturalist, Eric Nicholas. For more information about the park, visit the website 
While many of the opportunities at the park cost money, there's one that certainly doesn't: volunteering! There's always opportunities to garden or help Eric with something for a class, etc. For example:
I was thinking it would be a great club project to plan a Saturday to go up there and volunteer in the garden. I will arrange with Eric when that would be best. Please email me if you're interested in attending so I can let him know how many people to plan for. Also let me know which Saturdays in the coming weeks you would not be able to attend. We would be volunteering from 10-11 A.M.
