News  Earth Day Celebrates 50 Years

April 22, 2020 marks the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day. Earth Day was founded in 1970 to raise awareness about environmental issues and celebrate clean air, land, and water. The first Earth Day was held after millions of Americans protested environmental dangers like pollution and demanded action. The movement began on college campuses, but has gone global over the past 50 years and is now recognized as the world’s largest secular observance.

Earth Day is responsible for some of the most important environmental legislation to date including the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Water Act, and the Clean Air Act. Earth Day also helped raise support for endangered wildlife conservation, leading to the passage of the federal Endangered Species Act in 1973 and the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA) in 1990. Today, agencies like the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) embrace the spirit of Earth Day every day by conserving the Commonwealth’s natural resources throughout the year.

5 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day:

1. This year’s Earth Day theme is climate action. Take a few minutes to think about what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint like driving less, eating local, or hunting/fishing to get your meat.
2. Plant native plants or shrubs in your yard to help birds and other wildlife.
3. Pick up trash along the road and watch out for amphibians who are trying to cross the streets.
4. Join MassWildlife on iNaturalist and share your animal and plant observations.
5. Learn about wildlife in Massachusetts.