If your family explores the outdoors, participates in outdoor sports, or simply enjoys the beauty of Cache Valley, then Earth Day is an opportunity to show the Earth some love and talk about environmental issues.

There are many ways to celebrate Earth Day this spring and throughout the year.  Here are some specific events and general earth-friendly tips for your family:

Stokes Nature Center’s Annual Earth Day Soiree

The Italian Place, 48 Federal Avenue on April 24 at 6 p.m.  Tickets are $45.

9th Annual Family Fun Run

Get outside and get active!  Run sponsored by the Child and Family Support Center on April 25 at 10 a.m., Wellsville City Center.  Contact (435) 752-8880.

Stokes Nature Center

Visit the nature center at the mouth of Logan Canyon, open Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call ahead at 435-755-3239. 

Little Naturalist story time at the Swaner EcoCenter

Held every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month, from October to May at 10 a.m. This program is for 3 to 5 year olds who are curious about animals, their habitats, and the environment.  Contact the Swaner EcoCenter at (435) 649-1767.

 Valley Metal Recycling Tour

Families and other youth groups are invited to tour the recycling center and learn how it all happens.  Contact Valley Metal Recycling at (435) 213-1606.

 The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art

The current exhibit, ARTsySTEM: The Changing Climates of the Arts and Sciences could generate discussion about the blending of art and science and how scientific advancements help conservation efforts.  There is no exhibit fee.

Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 650 North 1100 East in Logan.

 Bike to School and Work Week: May 11-16

From 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. every morning this week at Aggie Blue Bikes and the CVDT Transit Center.  There will be food, bike safety tips and tune ups, and giveaways.

Earth Day Downtown Street Festival  – *Watch for it in 2016

Logan City, Stokes Nature Center and The Cache Valley Center for the Arts come together to hold a festival with Earth Day activities, music, and vendors.  This year it was held April 20 between Main Street and 100 West in Logan.

  • Avoid the car and carpool
  • Walk, hike, and bike
  • Evaluate whether your family can do more financial transactions online and save some trees
  • Pick a cause, whether it’s water safety, forest preservation, clean air, or recycling and learn about it and write a letter to your representative
  • Set up a compost bin
  • Grow a family garden or start a community garden
  • Plant a tree
  • Slow the flow . . . fix that leaky faucet
  • Save money and reduce emissions by making sure your tires are properly inflated
  • Purchase recycled paper, especially processed-chlorine-free recycled paper

Earth Day History

The concept of Earth Day started in 1962 when U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson decided it was time to put a spotlight on the environment.  He went to President John F. Kennedy and pitched the idea of a presidential national conservation tour.  The President liked the concept, and on September 1963 he went on a five-day, eleven-state tour.  Though the tour didn’t generate the enthusiasm Senator Nelson desired, he continued talking about conservation around the nation.   In the spring of 1970, Senator Nelson planned what he called a “nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment” and invited all Americans to participate.  The press picked up the story and generated enthusiasm for the movement.  From coast to coast on April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans rallied for a healthy, sustainable environment.

That first Earth Day led to bi-partisan support in Congress and the creation of the United Sates Environmental Protection Agency and passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.   In 1990 Earth Day went worldwide in 141 countries.

According to Earth Day Network (EDN), the organization founded by the organizers of the first Earth Day in 1970, Earth Day is the largest civic event in the world.  EDN reaches 22,0000 organization in 192 countries, assists over 30,000 U.S. educators, and coordinates thousands of community programs throughout the year.