Let’s celebrate Earth!

The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Today, more than 193 countries celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd.

Arizona is home to 22 national parks and monuments, more than any other state in the county. The state also has 35 state park units and as anyone living in Arizona would tell you, the national and state parks are part of what makes Arizona so beautiful.

Cities and organizations across the state are hosting events to celebrate Earth Day 2019 this weekend. To make it easier for those looking to participate, Chamber Business News gathered a list of activities.

Earth Day Phoenix:

Keep Phoenix Beautiful and Green Living magazine are hosting the 10th annual Earth Day Phoenix.

The event will take place at 10:30 am on April 22 at the Cesar Chavez Plaza in downtown Phoenix.

It will include “green exhibitors, a Green Living Simple Solutions Summit [and] food trucks.”

SMCC Earth Day Wellbeing Event:

South Mountain Community College (SMCC) will be hosting a “wellbeing” event where the school celebrates health and wellbeing of not only the environment but also humans.

It will include informational tables on behavioral health, meditation, yoga and a keynote presentation on overall wellness.

Shaun Wilson will be giving his keynote “Health and Sustainability: A Journey and Destination.” It will focus on how after receiving a permanent disability he aimed to inspire others and prioritize a life of social and environmental responsibility.

It will be held at SMCC on Monday, April 22 at 11:30 am. and catered by 24 Carrots.

SCA Papago Park Cleanup:

American Express, the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation departments are holding an event to restore Papago Park.

The cleanup will be held Saturday, April 20 at 9:00 am at Papago Park, all volunteers are welcome.

Volunteers will “help restore Papago Park through waterway clean-up at the pond, trail restoration, and invasive removal.”

Mesa’s Earth Friendly Month:

The City of Mesa has been holding “Earth Friendly” events throughout April. While there is not one event scheduled specifically for Earth Day, the city holds a countdown to Earth Day by adding new ways to help the environment every day.

Some of the tips include:

Did you know that old clothing and shoes and stuffed animals (too worn to donate) can now be recycled at specific locations?
Mow Down Pollution with the Maricopa County Air Quality Department. Recycle your gas mower, get an electric model and get a $200 voucher to pay for it!
Looking for beautiful plants that can save water too for your landscape? Check out Water – Use It Wisely’s Plant of the Month series!

Cave Creek Arts and Crafts Festival:

The Cave Creek Earth Day Festival, presented by the nonprofit Tierra Madre Horse and Human Sanctuary, will celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 20 with an arts and crafts festival at Frontier Town.

The event will feature vendors, live music, activity tables, crafts and raffles.

“As ‘Tierra Madre’ means Mother Earth in Spanish, our aim is to honor our Earth and her many creatures each and every day,” Tierra Madre Horse and Human Sanctuary said.

Tucson Earth Day Festival:

Saturday, April 20 the Tucson Earth Day Festival will take place at the Children’s Museum Tucson from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Attendees will learn about recycling, composting, gardening and how to get fun out of nature.

“Give that big blue marble a hug and discover all the ways to help make your world a healthier, greener place to live,” the Children’s Museum wrote.

Laser Fun Day:

The University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences will host its ninth annual Laser Fun Day.

“The educational extravaganza” is free and open to the public. It will be “hosting numerous optical science demonstrations from cow eye dissections, IR cameras, to interactive demos and [an] overwhelmingly popular laser maze.”

It will be held at the Meinel Optical Sciences Building Saturday, April 20 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

2019 Earth Day Flagstaff:

On Saturday, April 20, 2019, the City of Flagstaff will host an event at Bushmaster Park from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.

The event will include workshops such as Composting-Backyard, Vermiculture and Bokashi, Rainwater Harvesting, and Recycling, entertainment, and food trucks.

Prior to the event, which will run from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, the city will host a community cleanup from 9:00 am to 10:30 am.

Gordon Bonan Earth Day Lecture:

Dr. Gordon Bonan of the National Center for Atmospheric Research will give a free lecture titled “Reinventing Nature: Environmental Stewardship in the Age of Earth System Models.”

Bonan will talk about the changing human views of the forest and how those views affect environmental stewardship.

It will be at Northern Arizona State University on Monday, April 22 at 4:00 pm.

First Mesa Annual Earth Day Cleanup:

The First Mesa Annual Earth Day Cleanup in Polacca, Arizona will be held on April 20 and 21.

Starting at 8:30 am on Saturday, the event will bring together members from the Village of Tewa, Sichomovi, First Mesa Consolidated Villages, RezCycling, Ancestral Lands Hopi and Navajo County together to clean up trash from the city.

On Saturday, lunch will be served, and Easter Challenge Prizes will be given out.

National/State Parks:

On Saturday, April 20 the National Park Service is offering free admission to celebrate Earth Day and kick off National Parks Week.

Grand Canyon National Park, Tonto National Monument, Tuzigoot and Montezuma Castle national monuments, Oracle State Park, Kartchner Caverns State Park, Saguaro National Park and Red Rock State Park will be hosting events.