How to Raise Earth Day Awareness

The power of the conservation movement and Earth Day hinges entirely on collective efforts. A single person cannot recycle the world's plastic bottles, and he cannot plant enough trees to make a marked difference. You need to raise Earth Day awareness in your neighborhood to extend the reach of your work.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Work with student organizations at a local university to raise Earth Day awareness among future leaders. Major universities typically have multiple organizations dealing with organic living, conservation and environmental advocacy.

2. Volunteer at a local school on Earth Day to educate children about Earth Day. You can work with fellow parents to present fun information about protecting the environment.

3. Submit letters about Earth Day to the editor of every print publication in your community. You should look for articles focused on environmental issues in these publications to help frame your letter writing. You may find more of these articles at the end of February.

4. Speak with hosts of public-radio shows to promote Earth Day awareness throughout the community. Radio hosts on public stations usually have open lines at least once a month for citizens to voice their opinions.

5. Rent out space for an information booth at community events to raise Earth Day awareness. You can use your neighborhood organization to get information out at parades, fairs and outdoor events with a high amount of traffic.

6. Spend your time working with a wildlife habitat in your region to raise awareness about the environment. You can supplement your efforts by showing visitors the effects of environmental damage.

7. Participate in tree, shrub and flower planting in your community throughout the year. These events give you the opportunity to speak with fellow citizens about the environment and give the general public an example of what can be done to celebrate Earth Day.

8. Create a permanent neighborhood organization to raise Earth Day awareness every year. Your neighbors can get together monthly to establish a calendar of volunteer events and special campaigns leading up to Earth Day.

9. Pick up information packets from state and federal environmental agencies. The Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency and state conservation agencies feature educational programs to help citizens mobilize for Earth Day (see Resources below).

Resources

• Earth Day Take Home Kit from the Environmental Protection Agency