Earth Day

Earth Day is an annual celebration that honors the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect Earth’s natural resources for future generations. Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 in the United States and on either April 22 or the day the spring equinox occurs throughout the rest of the world.

Environmental activism during the 1960s inspired Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson to create a national celebration uniting the environmental movement. With the help of Denis Hayes, a graduate student at Harvard University, Nelson organized the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, educating participants in the importance of environmental conservation. Attended by 20 million people across the United States, the event strengthened support for legislation such as the Clean Air Act (updated in 1970) and the Endangered Species Act (1973).

Fun Fact: Our grassroots nonprofit, the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin (EAC) was also in 1971, in response to a local oil spill, and inspired by what became known as the 1970s conservation movement.

In 1990, Hayes organized a global Earth Day, with more than 200 million participants in more than 140 countries. Earth Day now brings together citizens and activists from around the world to raise awareness and take action regarding such environmental concerns as global warming and renewable energy.

Today, the Earth Day Network (EDN), which brings together more than 20,000 partners and organizations in 190 countries, supports the Earth Day mission year-round. This mission is founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. The Earth Day Network pursues this mission through education, public policy, and activism campaigns. These campaigns bring together more than 1 billion participants every year, making it one of the largest public, secular events in the world.

For more information:
earthday.org
Clean Marin
CA Cleaner Coast
Marin Mommies Calendar
Ronnie’s Awesome List Calendar

International Dark Sky Week

International Dark Sky Week (third week of April until the end of the month) aims to increase awareness of the seriousness of light pollution. While this time highlights this important work, there are actions you can take all year long.

According to the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), light pollution is increasing at a rate two times that of population growth, and 83% of the global population lives under a light-polluted sky.

How will Dark Sky changes affect you? What will the changes mean for local wildlife? Climate change? Pick up your home lighting inventory worksheet! Learn how to volunteer.

Looking for ways to celebrate International Dark Sky Week? Join Dark Sky West Marin, a community-led initiative dedicated to preserving the night sky in this environmentally rich and uniquely biodiverse region, and is formed by the villages of West Marin diligently working together to make DarkSky West Marin an International DarkSky Community.

Resources & More
Dark Sky International
Dark Sky West Marin