I like to think that I treat every day like it is Earth Day, just like I theoretically treat every day like it is Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Of course, I’m going to recycle and pay attention to my carbon footprint on April 22, the same way I do the other 364 days of the year. But, the actual holiday — especially this year, the 40th anniversary — is still a great excuse to draw attention to the needs of the planet, and to help build a culture of eco-friendliness in a community.
In New York City, where I live, there are some interesting events going on for the big Earth Day anniversary. Here are a few that I’d like to hit up:
- One of the biggest events in the city, the New York City EarthFair, takes place in and around Grand Central Terminal from April 19-24. Inside is a wide range of exhibits from Clean Air New York, the Farm Sanctuary and other groups, as well as a pop-up boutique featuring sustainable fashion. Outside, there are vendors, music and kid-friendly events.
- Another big event is the South Bronx EarthFest, a three-hour event on April 24 that will include a hike led by park rangers, a display of birds of prey from a local sanctuary and an opportunity to help clean up the shoreline and do some gardening.
- Speaking of gardening, on April 24 there is the MillionTreesNYC day of planting taking place in parks around the city, as well as the NYC Grows Festival in Union Square, which will encourage community gardening and sustainable living.
- From March 27 to May 1, there is also a TerraCycle Green Pop-Up Shop at the Port Authority Bus Terminal that sells over a hundred sustainable products made from common waste materials and allows visitors to drop off about 30 non-recyclable items, which the store will upcycle.
