Tomorrow is Earth Day! First celebrated in 1970, the worldwide holiday is a day to learn about our planet and how to protect it for future generations.
The San Joaquin County Office of Education, Peace and Justice Network of San Joaquin and other community-based organizations have partnered to hold a local virtual celebration and discussion of local, national and global environmental concerns. The free event will be held via Zoom and is open to the public. Guests will watch video and animation shorts from local artists and community groups, and a panel of experts will discuss local issues. The Zoom session will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 22. For more information, visit www.earthdaystockton.com.
California State Parks is also hosting a collection of virtual events to commemorate the day, with the theme “Restore Our Earth.” There will be a special collaboration this year between the Kumeyaay tribe, who live in the San Diego area, and Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. From 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., State Parks will present a collaborative interpretive program with Kumeyaay elders, leaders, cultural specialists and scientists. Speakers will include Laurie Egan-Hedley, director and curator of the Barona Cultural Center & Museum, who will discuss ecozones and Native American scientists; Elder Sam Brown of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, who will share a creation story; and tribal elders and leaders from Jamul Indian Village, who will share traditional ecological knowledge. For a full schedule or to view the livestream, visit www.facebook.com/oldtownsandiego.
California State Parks is also offering the following special PORTS programs for teachers and students:
- 8 a.m.: Take 3 for the Sea with Gaviota State Park.
- 9 a.m.: AquaSMART Live: Clean and Green Puppet Show.
- 10 a.m.: Earth Day Craft Corner.
- 11 a.m.: Restore our Body, Restore our Earth.
- Noon: Reduce, Reuse & Recycle: Composting at Hearst Castle.
- 1 p.m.: Human Impact in the Tidepools and Safe Exploration.
- 2 p.m.: Nature Journaling Adventure with John Muir Laws.
- 3 p.m.: Following the Path of the Monarchs.
The general public can view the livestreams on YouTube at www.youtube.com/c/CaliforniaStateParksPORTSPrograms. Due to limited space, anyone wishing to participate in the webinar must register ahead of time at www.ports-ca.us and click on “Home Learning Programs.”
Virtual programs are great, but it’s also great to get outside and celebrate the Earth by doing something to help our planet. If that’s what you’re looking for, consider downloading the Litterati app and joining in the City of Lodi’s Litterati efforts to clean up trash.
Happy Earth Day!