Here’s what you probably didn’t know: Earth Day was founded in the United States on April 22, 1970.
It is now celebrated in more than 196 countries. While Rachel Carson’s 1962 New York Times bestseller Silent Spring turned up the volume on pollution and the fragile balance of the earth, it was the massive oil spill in Santa Barbara in 1969 that created a political surge.
Gaylord Nelson, a US senator from Wisconsin was triggered by the on-going student anti-war movements. Surely, there was a way to harness this energy and gravity—and direct it towards the planet. Air and water pollution were introduced to the political agenda and a national staff of 85 was established to promote events across the land for “Earth Day.” Senator Nelson would soon gain fame as the founder of Earth Day, an event that now sees the largest secular observance in the world. Twenty million Americans took to the streets and rallied against pesticides, toxic dumps, oil spills, nuclear power and animal extinction in 1970. 2020 marked the 50th anniversary of Nelson’s vision.
It wasn’t until 1990 that the day went global and 200 million people in 141 countries recognized Earth as more than an inexhaustible resource. Fever was gathering for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Reduce, reuse and recycle became tattooed on our brains.
Earth Day Canada was established in 1990, and the national environmental charity continues to be instrumental in leading the annual Earth Day campaign in addition to free year-round programs that encourage stewardship, conservation and playing—outside!
While the focus is always the same (Earth), the targets have evolved from simply recycling pop cans to lifestyle modifications like clean commuting, zero waste initiatives, single-use plastic elimination and carbon footprint reduction.
There are so many easy ways to engage with the planet. Host a garage sale, build a bat house or donate books to your local little free library. Don’t have one in your community? Build one! We have included plans for a DIY Little Garden Greenhouse in our Summer 2026 issue that will provide a hub for sharing seeds, clippings and produce in your neighbourhood.
Sign up for a row in your community garden, plant a seed, plant an idea! Try a new section of The Trans Canada Trail.
How will you celebrate this year? Check out these ideas:
Become a Citizen Scientist!
Bird Studies Canada is always looking for someone with beautiful eyes who likes long walks in the woods or along the beach. There are dozens of projects across Canada from monitoring marshes to nocturnal owl surveys that need volunteers. Urban volunteers are needed in places like Vancouver to help document and collect data on migratory birds and building collisions. Help reduce threats to Piping Plover habitat in Nova Scotia or sign up for the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey!
Buy A Feel-Good Book
Climate-Wise Landscaping: Practical Solutions for a Sustainable Future (New Society Publishers)
