Tuesday, April 22 marks the 55th Earth Day celebration in the United States. Learn more about Earth Day and what you can do to support the planet.
The history
The first Earth Day took place in 1970 after U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson identified concerns over the health of the planet. He proposed the idea in 1969 and it immediately gained popularity. The public shared his concerns over the environment and demonstrated it through protests and rallies, all fighting for the federal government to make a change in how they approach sustainability and environmental health.
Earth Day allowed for new developments within environmental legislation. It also pushed for acts like the Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act and the Toxic Substance Control Act to be passed, and for the Environmental Protection Agency to be established.
Earth Day became global in 1990 and became recognized in 140 countries.
Each year, Earth Day is given a different theme, recognizing important environmental issues that need to be addressed and worked on by the public. Earth Day 2025's overall theme is “Our Power, Our Planet."
"Unite around renewable energy so we can triple clean electricity by 2030," The Earth Day Network expresses.
Sustainability on campus
In previous years, Wright State University has been an active participant in Earth Day. Back in 2011, WSU hosted an event every day of the week leading up to Earth Day. This included a walk in the WSU woods, as well as showings of informational Earth Day videos. Events like these carried on to the following years but have stopped short this year.
The only event being held on campus this year on Earth Day is the “Almost Summer Social” hosted by the Community Council. This event is held in the Village Pavilion from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. However, this is not marketed as an Earth Day event, and has no aspect of sustainability.
Despite the lack of environmental events on Earth Day, on April 23 the campus is hosting their first annual “Campus Clean Up Day.” The event, held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., will focus on collecting litter and cleaning the campus.
While the event is not marketed to be associated with Earth Day, it does aim to better the environment, which is another large aspect of the holiday.
Lexi Moore, a WSU student and a program assistant at the Centerville Park System, believes that the campus should acknowledge Earth Day.
"I think since our campus is so big and includes many grassy areas and scenic views, there could be more ways to acknowledge Earth Day," Moore said.
The Wright State Guardian reached out to the Environmental Health and Safety department for a direct comment on how they plan to contribute to Earth Day this year and did not get a response.
Earth DayTON
While WSU is not hosting many Earth Day supporting events this year, the Miami Valley is. Throughout the months of April and May, there are an abundance of activities to participate in and celebrate the planet called Earth DayTON. There are activities in several different cities within the Miami Valley and for different age levels.
On Earth Day, the City of Miamisburg Recycled Art Show will be taking place from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Art from all ages will be displayed highlighting the beauty of repurposing common household products.
Along with this, Five Rivers MetroPark is holding their annual Adopt-a-Park on April 26. This event is a perfect way to spend Earth Day weekend volunteering. The event is open to those of all ages and will consist of going to the parks and performing beneficial environmental work.
“Projects will include invasive species removal, habitat maintenance, gardening activities, mulching nature play areas, historical farm clean up and more,” Five Rivers MetroPark claims.
For a full list of Earth DayTON click here. For more information on Adopt-A-Park, click here.
How WSU students can help the environment
There are a wide range of small contributions you can personally make to help the environment not only on Earth Day but every day.
- Reduce Plastic Usage: Plastic water bottles may seem convenient, but their chemicals and waste have harmful effects to nature. Try opting for a reusable water bottle that you can refill at water fountains all over campus. In addition, when grocery shopping bring a reusable bag. This will reduce the number of plastic grocery bags in landfills, bodies of water, and litter throughout the woods on campus.
- Carpool: Catch a ride to classes with a friend, by bus, or even bike when possible. This will help reduce the number of daily gas emissions.
- Only take what you can eat: While the all-you-can-eat buffet at the Student Union is tempting, try to avoid grabbing more than what you can eat. This will aid in reducing food waste, which turns into harmful greenhouse gases.
- Recycle: When you know something can be recycled, put it in the correct recycling bin. Scattered throughout campus there are recycle bins connected to trash bins. Before trashing it, think, can this be recycled?
- Volunteer: Local parks are always looking for help keeping the environment clean. If a class gets canceled, don’t hesitate to use that time to volunteer!
- Donate: In addition to small contributions, you can always Donate to Earthday.org. Proceeds go to creating a healthier, more sustainable earth.
"You don't have to go pick up trash on the beach to celebrate Earth Day," Moore expressed, "You can simply go outside and look at a bird's nest in a tree and think about what those birds have collected to make it. You wouldn't want plastic wrappers being the first place a baby bird sees."
If some of these actions seem difficult, that is okay. Earth Day and contributing to making a better planet is all about the small steps, so as long as you are trying to do something, that is enough.
