Earth Month 2020 Round-up

This April 22nd marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, a global celebration of the environment that brings people together to learn about nature and take action for the climate. 

With numerous Earth Day activities and celebrations spread out over the entire month, April has come to be known as Earth Month. This year, however, physical distancing meant that green gatherings, eco-parties, and climate marches were not possible. So what did our Earth Day-loving community do?

Take to the Internet! The EcoSchools community rallied to come up with creative ways to virtually celebrate and keep environmental learning and action alive. Let’s take a look at some of the amazing highlights.

Embracing GOOS Paper

The first-ever National GOOS Paper Day took place on April 2 and promoted effective ways to reduce and recycle paper. Educators, students, and workplaces were challenged to showcase their creative homemade GOOS (Good On One Side) paper bins on Twitter for a chance to win a terrific prize package courtesy of EcoSchools Canada and Cascades.

Check out the myriad of GOOS paper creations shared over social media.

Getting your gulp on

Beginning in March and ending on Earth Day, we asked the EcoSchools community to take part in The Great Gulp. This activity raises awareness around access to clean drinking water and the importance of reducing single-use plastic waste by inviting educators, students, and their families to take a synchronized drink of tap water from a reusable container. Plus, those who gulped and shared their picture or video on Twitter were entered into a draw to win amazing prizes courtesy of SodaStream Canada!

And boy, did people gulp! We received over 150 contest entries and posts showcasing students, teachers, parents, and even pets taking part. Check out the highlight reel:

Coming together for Earth Day

It’s no surprise that despite the majority of people staying safe at home all April, the EcoSchools community put in extra effort to share Earth Day lessons, activities, and pledges.

The EcoSchools team couldn’t resist getting in on the fun by submitting video pledges as part of Earth Day Canada’s digital celebration. See how we committed to starting and improving our own green practices (videos below).

It’s clear that despite these challenging times, the EcoSchools community is committed to keeping environmental learning and action going. Thank you for showing your passion and dedication for a sustainable future. We can’t wait for Earth Day 2021!