Earth Day 2021
The official theme of Earth Day 2021 is Restore Our Earth™.
Read on to learn how you can get involved on campus, in Cleveland, and online!
CAMPUS EVENTS
CSU Earth Day BINGO 2021 
Back by popular demand, CSU’s Earth Day BINGO game offers a variety of activities that will get you outdoors and reduce your environmental footprint!
Whether you’re at home or on campus, choose five simple actions that will make a difference wherever you are! Check off five-in-a-row and email your BINGO card to sustainability@csuohio.edu by April 30. For every BINGO card received, the CSU Office of Sustainability will donate $1 to Drink Local. Drink Tap, an international non-profit started in 2010 by a CSU alum to promote water equity and access.
CLIMATE REALITY PRESENTATION
Title: Climate Change and Northeast Ohio: Taking Steps Toward a Better Future
Speaker: Mandi Goodsett, Climate Reality Leader
Description: It is now widely acknowledged beyond the scientific community that human-caused climate change is altering our planet and putting our health, safety, and wellbeing at risk. This presentation answers three questions about climate change: Must we change? Can we change? Do we have the will to change? Learn how climate change is impacting Northeast Ohio, what exciting solutions are available for addressing climate change, and what you can do to contribute to a better future for all.
Tue 4/20/2021 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Thu 4/22/2021 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
VIEW RECORDING (Access Password: hk+$JtA3)
Campfire Convo: Earth Day!
The Adventure Rec team is here to celebrate Earth Day and teach you all about how you can make Earth Day every day! Aubree is going to talk about how to be more environmentally conscious in your everyday life, with tips on recycling, composting, and more! To register, email Brooke at b.m.hokes@vikes.csuohio.edu.
Date: April 22nd
Time: 6:00pm
Earth Day Dinner
Enjoy favorites from Mother Nature with the Earth Day Dinner in the Viking Marketplace.
April 22nd
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Earth Day with CAB: Plant it for the Planet
Who doesn’t love a free succulent? Join CAB Thursday, the 22nd from 11a.m-3p.m, in the student center plaza to celebrate Earth Day. There will be free plants (with to-go containers), a ton of eco friendly giveaways and a chance to win a prize from potting your plant in the most creative way. Mark your calendars now, you won’t want to miss this amazing event!
SGA Arbor Day Tree Planting
SGA is hosting an Arbor Day tree planting ceremony on April 30th in the Student Center Plaza!
April 30th 12pm-2pm
Location: Student Center Plaza
Join SGA for an outdoor event to celebrate Arbor Day where students can participate in planting two trees on campus. Student guests will also be able to see the unveiling of two dedication plaques to the class of 2020 and graduating class of 2021. Get a goodie box, snacks, drinks and insomnia cookies!
CLEVELAND EVENTS
Sustainable Cleveland Presents: Cleveland's Clean & Equitable Energy Future
Thu, April 29, 2021 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM EDT
In 2018, the City of Cleveland became the first city in Ohio to commit to powering itself with 100% clean energy. In this meeting, the City of Cleveland’s Chief of Sustainability, Jason Wood, will provide an overview of the report and the various pathways the City could pursue to achieve its goal of 100% clean energy, while also generating millions of dollars of public benefits, including utility bill savings and reducing energy burden for residents, the creation of green jobs, and public health benefits for Clevelanders.
Sustainable Cleveland Events Calendar
Earth Day at Cuyahoga Valley National Park – April 20, 21, 23
Join us in celebrating Earth Day and help to give back and preserve one of your favorite public places – Cuyahoga Valley National Park!
By planting trees, you are restoring the natural habitat of your park and benefiting the environment! You will use shovels to dig holes for native trees, hammer in stakes beside newly planted trees, and cover trees with deer tubes for protection. This project helps to fill in the tree canopy and creates less fragmented habitat for wildlife. Advanced registration is required. REGISTER HERE.
Global Climate Change: How Does It Impact Your Health?
Tuesday, April 20 at 11:00am to 12:30pm
Join University Hospitals pediatrician Dr. Nikita Habermehl to learn how global climate change is affecting our health here in Cleveland.
Hosted by the Cuyahoga Community College Office of Sustainability. Fill in the Google form to register; you will receive an email with the link to join the presentation.
Attracting Beneficial Insects to the Home Garden Habitat
April 19 at 4:00 P.M.
Hosted by the City of Cleveland, Mayor's Office of Sustainability
This program will highlight a sampling of beneficial insects that are desirable to have in our yards and gardens. In celebration of Ohio Native Plant Month and National Native Plant Month, Judy Semroc will provide information on the natural history of beneficial insects, how to attract them to your yard and garden, their connection to pollinators, and why they are important. This event is sponsored by the LEAP Native Plant Promotion Committee.
Growing Trees and Equity
Tuesday, April 27, 2021 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
The 2015 Cleveland Tree Plan set a target to increase Cleveland’s tree canopy cover from 19% to 30% by 2040. Although the region has made progress in the past five years, according to the Cleveland Tree Plan: 2020 Tree Canopy Progress Report compiled by the Cleveland Tree Coalition, tree canopy cover continues to decline. Neighborhood canopy cover varies widely, ranging from 35% to 4% across the city! In this panel, hear from community leaders on the ground about the real and existing barriers to growing an equitable tree canopy and how some communities/neighborhoods are working extra hard to address the challenges to meet the goal through local grants and community grown solutions.
Panel Members:
Erica Burnett, Director of Community Building and Engagement, Famicos Foundation
Samira Malone, Neighborhood Planning Project Coordinator, MidTown Cleveland
Councilman Blaine Griffin, Cleveland City Council, Ward 6
Veronica Walton, Executive Director, Food Depot to Health
Join the Zoom Webinar - Passcode: 438374
City Nature Challenge 2021: Cleveland, Akron, Canton
April 30 - May 3, 2021
Join the Cleveland, Akron, and Canton regions in celebrating and documenting the plants and animals that call our communities home. City Nature Challenge 2021 encourages all our community members to embrace the healing power of nature and to collaborate in sharing what we see in nearby natural areas.
OHIO EVENTS
Take Flight!
Take Flight! is an Earth Day celebration of local and global efforts to protect and restore the monarch butterfly. Hosted by Ohio State’s Environmental Professionals Network with TEDx Chapter and Monarch Joint Ventures, the event includes the release of two, 10 minute TED talks focused on Ohioans (professionals, residents, enthusiasts) taking initiative to create monarch butterfly habitat in diverse areas across our state.
April 21 6:00 P.M. - 7:15 P.M.
Environmental Mini-films with Ohio University
Watch three sustainability-minded short films free from home, then join in a Zoom discussion featuring filmmaker Susan Rockefeller on the final night of viewing!
Available to watch April 26th – 28th, 2021
Post-show Zoom discussion at 7:00PM on Wednesday, April 28th
COME HOME, LAY DOWN YOUR BURDEN (11 min)
WATER WARRIORS (22 min)
JOANNA MACY AND THE GREAT TURNING (27 min)
This mini-film fest is available virtually to universities across Ohio. To participate, please REGISTER and an email will be delivered to you when the films become available to stream, containing a link to watch and a link to the Zoom discussion.
NATIONAL ONLINE EVENTS
Earth Day Live: Three Days of Climate Action
Join EARTHDAY.ORG for three days of climate action starting April 20th including a global youth climate summit and an Earth Day Live digital event featuring workshops, panel discussions, and special performances. The event will focus on natural processes, emerging green technologies, and innovative thinking that can restore the world’s ecosystems.
April 20-22: 3 Days of Climate Action
Watch Kiss the Ground
Kiss the Ground reveals that, by regenerating the world’s soils, we can completely and rapidly stabilize Earth’s climate, restore lost ecosystems and create abundant food supplies. Using compelling graphics and visuals, along with striking NASA and NOAA footage, the film artfully illustrates how, by drawing down atmospheric carbon, soil is the missing piece of the climate puzzle.
Watch the free 45 minute-long educational version of the Kiss the Ground movie (a.k.a. “Kiss the Ground for Schools”) by using the password: schools.
Watch The Story of Plastic
The Story of Plastic (Animated Short) pulls back the curtain on the plastic pollution headlines, revealing the true causes and consequences of the global plastics crisis. Then learn how to take action for a future without plastic pollution! By the creators of The Story of Stuff.
https://www.storyofstuff.org/storyofplastic/
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
Visit AASHE, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, for a series of Earth Day events at universities across the globe. CSU is an AASHE member. To access member-only resources, create an account using your CSU email address.
Restore Our Earth Climate Education Week Toolkit
Earthday.org acknowledges Climate Education Week from April 19-23 with Earth Day on Thursday, April 22. This toolkit provides a daily focus for Climate Education Week related to the 2021 theme of Restore Our Earth. It is designed for educators, parents or motivated students who want to explore ways to learn more about the local impacts of climate change and how people can work together to restore our earth through individual and community civic action.
https://www.earthday.org/restore-our-earth-climate-education-week-toolkit/