This year marks the 52nd Anniversary of Earth Day.
Look around you, Earth Day isn’t just one day, it’s everyday!
2022 Celebration - Get Involved! 12 Day Challenge Activities & Crafts
CELEBRATE WITH US
Fifty-two years ago, on April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate support for a healthy, sustainable environment during the nation’s first Earth Day celebration. In recent years, Earth Day has grown to be celebrated globally in more than 193 countries. In 2022, there are many Earth Day activities to participate in in Springfield. Do your part to make Earth Day everyday.
Clean Green Springfield Roadway and Stream cleanups
There are several ways individuals, families, business teams and service organizations can help cleanup along local roadways, spots and streams! The City’s Adopt-A-Street and Adopt-A-Stream programs offer one-time or on-going cleanup opportunities and resources to help pickup litter, beautify our city and protect water quality. Visit CleanGreenSGF.com/roads-streams to learn more and connect with a cleanup coordinator.
Neighborhood Cleanups
Thirteen of the City’s registered neighborhoods are hosting cleanups scheduled in late March through early June. Events are facilitated through a partnership between the City, Community Partnership of the Ozarks and each registered neighborhood association. Volunteers are needed to help with a variety of activities, including helping neighbors unload items at the drop-off sites, bulky item pickup throughout the neighborhood and general litter pickup throughout the neighborhood. A variety of locations and day and evening times are available. Visit cleangreensgf.com/neighborhoods for full schedule. Contact Rachel Tripp at [email protected] and Autumn Skinner at [email protected] to sign up.
Recycle Right Presentation & Q&A
Learn all about proper recycling practices in this video presentation that not only educates, but has fun while doing it!
Presenters: Ashley Krug & Laurie Davis from the City of Springfield Environmental Services Department
Backyard Composting Presentation & Q&A
This presentation included all things composting to help those who are interested in starting their very own home compost site to those who are already practicing but need additional tips and assistance.
View presentation slides.
Presenter: Justine Campbell, Springfield Compost Collective
Picnic in Place Low Waste Lunch
Where: We encourage everyone to go outside in their yard and enjoy nature while they enjoy their lunch.
Participate in the 12 Days of Earth Day Challenge and share photos of your low waste lunch and picnic in place in the comments on our event page!
Check out this site for fun ways to make your low-waste lunch a success outdoors.
Virtual South Creek Tour & Kick-Netting Demo
This presentation discusses water quality and how it relates to the South Creek restoration project (and others) with an additional fun, quick kick-netting demonstration and explanation.
Presenter: Todd Wilkinson & Brenton Stock, James River Basin Partnership
Tree Planting Ceremony Demo & Discussion
Mary & John planted a tree at the new Ozark Greenways headquarters near Chestnut Expressway-where OG got its start in the late ‘80’s as Project Parkway. Learn more about the organizations roots and pick up some tips on tree planting-some helpful and some not.
Presenter: Mary & John, Ozark Greenway
A few additional resources for a successful planting:
MDC Tree Care Tips
Tree City Resources
12 Days of Earth Day Challenge
Join us to celebrate earth day and do your part to make Earth Day everyday! Choose as many or as few of the challenges you’d like to do!
DAY 1: Trash to Treasure Challenge
Challenge 1: Create a sustainable craft using items that might be considered “trash”. Some ideas to get you started can be found on our Sustainable Crafts page
Challenge 2: Take a photo of your craft and post it to social media with the tag #SGFEarthDay
Challenge 3: OUR COMBINED EFFORTS MAKE ONE BIG IMPACT
On average, a Missourian creates 7.6 lbs of trash every day! Calculate how many pounds of trash would be sent to the landfill in one day for every citizen in the city of Springfield.
DAY 2: Make A Pledge
Challenge 1: Make a pledge to do something different that will help our environment and/or community.
Write it down.
Challenge 2: Post a picture on any social media with your pledge and encourage your friends to share it.
Use hashtag #SGFEarthDay
Challenge 3: OUR COMBINED EFFORTS MAKE ONE BIG IMPACT
How would our community be affected if everyone took your same pledge? Share your thoughts with us by commenting on our post.
DAY 3: Walk in a Park!
Challenge 1: Take a walk anywhere outside and track your distance
Challenge 2: Post a picture of your walk on any social media with the hashtag #SGFEarthDay
Challenge 3: OUR COMBINED EFFORTS MAKE ONE BIG IMPACT
Estimate if everyone in our City took the same walk as you, how many miles would our city have walked?
DAY 4: Celebrate Earth!
Challenge 1: Create a social media post wishing everyone a Happy Earth Day and use the hashtag #SGFEarthDay.
Challenge 2: Create a low-waste lunch and post your pictures of your Picnic in Place, tagging #SGFEarthDay. Check out these tips for how to create a low waste picnic.
DAY 5: Native Plant
Challenge 1: Did you know that Springfield is a member of the Mayors Monarchs Pledge, an initiative of the National Wildlife Federation which focuses on creating habitat for the Monarch butterfly and other pollinators? Research and pick a native plant that would attract pollinators to your yard or environment and explain why pollinators matter.
Challenge 2: OUR COMBINED EFFORTS MAKE ONE BIG IMPACT
How would our community benefit from more plants that attract pollinators?
DAY 6: Nature Art
Challenge 1: Using only physical things found in nature, make a piece of natural art.
Challenge 2: Post a picture of your work on any social media with the hashtag #SGFEarthDay
DAY 7: Litter Pick Up
Challenge 1: Go on a walk on a Springfield trail or in a park. Take a trash bag with you and fill the trash bag with litter you find.
Challenge 2: Post a picture of your work on any social media with the hashtag #SGFEarthDay
Challenge 3: OUR COMBINED EFFORTS MAKE ONE BIG IMPACT: Count how many bags of trash your family collected. How many bags of trash could be removed from our public places if everyone in our city collected the same number of bags that you just did?
DAY 8: Parade for the Planet
Challenge 1: Decorate your bike or wagon using recycled materials . Go for a walk around the neighborhood and show your family’s parade for the planet.
Challenge 2: Take a photo and post your “parade” to social media using the hashtag #SGFEarthDay
DAY 9: Flush Responsibly
Challenge 1: Count the number of times your family flushes the toilet in one day. If an average toilet uses 1.6 gallons per flush, how many gallons did your family use today?
DAY 10: Citizen Science
Challenge 1: Today, you can be a Citizen Scientist! Join a citizen science project. Visit scistarter.org/citizen-science for project ideas and finding a project to participate in.
DAY 11: Single Use Smackdown
Challenge 1: Today we’re challenging you to use as many reusable substitutes to single use items as possible. Post a picture of you with your reusable item (for example, reusable straw, cup, shopping bag, sandwich bag, etc) tagging #SGFEarthDay
Challenge 2: OUR COMBINED EFFORTS MAKE ONE BIG IMPACT According to www.earthday.org, Americans use approximately 13 plastic water bottles each month. If everyone in our City were to stop using plastic water bottles, how many bottles would we eliminate in one year?
DAY 12: "What’s your footprint?"
Challenge 1: How many earths would it take if everyone lived like you? Visit footprintcalculator.org to calculate your family’s ecological footprint.
Challenge 2: Create a social media post telling people about your footprint and how you might be able to reduce that number tag #SGFEarthDay.
Activities & Crafts: not just for the kids
We love the natural environment, sustainability and crafts! As part of our education program, we integrate activities and crafts as a bridge to teach environmental topics and sustainable practices. Grab your family and enjoy our specially curated Earth Day scavenger hunt or pull out the crayons, flex that creative muscle and color in a coloring sheet with our favorite little Globie!