Today is Earth Day 2021. Each year, April 22 marks the anniversary of the beginnings of modern environmental activism. The first Earth Day, celebrated in 1970, set the stage to inspire all Americans to protect the Earth and work to improve our consciousness about how industry, agriculture, and our personal wastefulness affect our world.

Now, Earth Day is a global event with hundreds of millions of people celebrating across 192 countries. The goal for the present is to have more than a billion people focused on global activities to transform the planet.

You can learn more about the history of Earth Day at earthday.org.

West Virginians Celebrate Earth Day

There are many ways to celebrate Earth Day 2021 in West Virginia.

  • At West Virginia University, events have taken place throughout the week. If you missed the earlier events, you can still get in on the Virtual Earth Day 5k. Check that out here.
  • Or Shrink your carbon footprint by changing how you do everyday tasks that can impact the environment. Find out about that here.
  • On Friday, April 23, you can join the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle campaign by gathering items in your home and then donating or volunteering.
  • Participate in the Blue and Gold Mine Sale: Each spring, WVU in cooperation with the United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties, collect unused, unwanted, or discarded items from WVU students and from the community, then host a gigantic public sale. The program keeps an estimated 25 tons of waste out of local landfills and all proceeds go to the United Way annual fundraising campaign. Learn about getting involved here.

Other 2021 Earth Day celebrations in West Virginia include this one at WVU Parkersburg Walking Trail. Activities for all ages will include a guided wildlife walk, bat houses, a vegetable giveaway, Smokey Bear meet-and-greet, and a terrarium and bird feeders for kids. Find out more information at this site.

Fairmont State University began celebrating on Wednesday, but for Thursday they saved these great events:

Celebrate all week long

You can find a variety of Earth Day activities in and around Morgantown here. So pick your place and celebrate!

But if you’re looking for your own little piece of earth to celebrate, we can help with that too. Take a look at these homes with sustainable building practices or energy-efficient appliances.