Earth Day – Everyday Considerations for Bigger Change Here on the Suncoast

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EARTHDAY.ORG (formerly Earth Day Network), which includes 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. The official theme for 2023 is Invest In Our Planet. It is not about making a massive change for just a single day but rather little changes each day that each of us can do to make things better long term for the earth and environment.

There are many fun, easy ways to get involved and raise awareness of many issues impacting our planet on Suncoast. Volunteering for clean-ups, fun activities to help educate kids on environmental issues, or maybe attending a seminar to better inform yourself are small steps toward big change. This is a big, heavy issue that impacts everyone, but as sometimes can be the issue when talking about these kinds of subjects, it can feel overwhelming. This enormity makes it important to take Earth Day events in stride and look at them as tiny, educational, fun ways to do a little bit in our part of the world toward a bigger issue. Take a look at all the ways you can get involved here on Earth Day on the Suncoast:

2023 Earth Day & Scrub Jay Fest – The annual Sarasota Earth Day Celebrations is traditionally held at Oscar Scherer State Park, in Osprey (Sarasota County), usually under clear and bright Florida sunshine-filled skies with mild temperatures. It’s free admission for all into this popular State Park for Earth Day celebration events from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Earth Day at Moccasin Lake – Celebrate Earth Day with Moccasin Lake Nature Park! There will be music, presentations, children’s crafts, reptiles and birds of prey, and food trucks! Today, April 22, from 10 am to 2 pm!

Earth Day at The Children’s Garden and Art Center – Join us at 11 am for a Nature Scavenger Hunt along with a small treat. Then at 1 pm, we are making Upcycled Paper Flower Gardens to “Keep It Out of the Landfill!” using recycled items such as straws, lids, pretty paper, boxes & bags – come get creative!  Included in the price of admission to the Garden.

St. Pete Earth Day Cleanup – Keep Pinellas Beautiful is hosting the 2023 Great American Cleanup (GAC), the nation’s largest community improvement program. This Keep America Beautiful signature event engages over 7,000 volunteers, removing litter and beautifying locations throughout Pinellas County.

Other Ways to Celebrate this Day:

No rule says you have to celebrate Earth Day a certain way. Some people may want to host the whole family for a party focused on sustainability, while others might prefer to contribute to a community event in honor of the day. If you want to mark the moment but aren’t sure how to do it, here are three great ways you can celebrate Earth Day.

• Plan an Outdoor Family Party
• Plan a Virtual Earth Day Party
• Make Your Own Bird Feeder
• Host a Relaxed Cycling Experience
• Plant Trees
• Host a Clothing Swap

Whether cleaner water, recycling, tidying public spaces, or a myriad of other little steps each of us can do to help the earth, there is much to do today on the Suncoast. Get out, get involved, and make a change while having fun. We live in one of the prettiest places in the States, and all of us are helping take steps to clean our communities and contribute in our small ways toward big changes down the road.

Happy Earth Day, Suncoast!

Photo Courtesy of Deposit Photos and Unsplash