• We are bringing people together virtually with various online events, stories, and resources!  Stay tuned for more information as NASA’s plans for Earth Day 2021 develop.
• Check out the online Earth Day Toolkit with free resources pulled together from across the agency. Last year’s 50th anniversary toolkit can be found here.  And don’t forget the posters!
• Eyes on the Earth: Track Earth’s vital signs and fly along with NASA’s Earth-observing satellites. See natural hazards from space, view near real-time science data and keep an Eye on our planet’s health.

• Test your wildlife knowledge with our Nature Series flyers!
• Check out our Education and Outreach page to access our quarterly water quality articles, flyers, presentations and other resources.
• Explore the Energy Awareness material provided below to learn valuable energy-conservation tips, access online tools & training, and much more!
  • Advice, tools, resources and inspiration to help you save energy, provided by Energy Star.
  • Free Sustainable Buildings training for continuing education credits.
  • Ten simple “small acts” to go green and save energy in observance of Earth Day
  • Save energy and minimize costs at home (flyer & videos)

• Tips. Articles. Posters. You’ll find everything you need in this handy-dandy online tool kit! We’ve developed an array of helpful materials filled with simple steps residents can take to find their “inner green,” while protecting our beautiful Hampton Roads environment.

• LaRC’s Science Directorate Education and Outreach website.
• Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE)
  • Learn about the Science of SAGE.
  • Get the latest news, and access outreach materials including photos and education activities.
• Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring Pollution (TEMPO)
  • Join the TEMPO team efforts to better understand our home planet.
  • Explore TEMPO Education, Communications, and Public Engagement.
• Sensing the Earth from Above (taking lidar to new heights to better understand our Earth).

• Join the Recycling Partnership’s national initiative, Communities for Recycling, featuring content desired to inspire recycling participation and educational opportunities to help you recycle at home more, better.
• Check out these tips:
  • How to commit to sustainability at home.
  • Our team members’ tips, hacks & tricks for working remotely.
• Earth Day 2021 activities.

• Welcome to our VIRTUAL river school!
• Take a deep breath and read about how members of our local communities #LoveLiz. Or share your own story!
• Learn more about who we are, and how you can get involved.
• Visit (following all applicable safety guidelines, of course!) Paradise Creek Nature Park, restored wetlands on the Elizabeth River featuring two miles of multi-use, easy nature trails.

• Join us in celebrating National Park Week 2021 from Aril 17 to 25!
• Find a park near you to explore and plan your visit! Find A Park.
• Check out the National Park Service in Celebration of Earth at NPS Celebrates!

• “Explore over 800,000 gallons at one of the best aquariums and animal habitats in the country” – The Virginia Beach Aquarium is open to the public at a limited capacity with safety procedures in place for guests, staff, and volunteers. Timed tickets with online reservations are required.

• The Virginia Zoo is open with some modifications and a new schedule. Take a look at what you can expect on your next Zoo visit!
• Joining us on our social media for a Virtual Voyage where you’ll go behind the scenes, tour the Zoo, and cure your curiosity with our animals, Keepers and Education staff!
• Check out the many upcoming events in April on the Zoo Calendar
• EDZOOCATION: EARTH DAY

• Visit in person or across social media. The museum is open daily and also hosting virtual events.
• Check out the museum’s calendar of events for a variety of different activities, in person and virtual!

• Learn how the SWIFT initiative is tackling today’s environmental challenges.
• Take a tour around the facility at your leisure.
• Check out our video on how the HRSD SWIFT Center is supplying quality groundwater for future generations!

• The maritime discovery center is currently open Wednesdays through Sundays and also hosting virtual activities.
• Check out the debut of Planet or Plastic?, an exhibition by National Geographic, which shines a spotlight on the fragility of the natural environment as a result of the global plastic waste crisis. Featuring the work of researchers, scientists and artists, the exhibition traces the history of plastic from its invention to present day. At the culmination of the exhibit, guests are provided with practical steps to responsibly reduce, reuse, recycle, and refuse single-use plastic products.

Apps

• Seek by iNaturalist: Identify plants and animals with image recognition technology (available for free in the App Store or on Google Play).
• Global Earth Challenge: Become a citizen scientist by monitoring the environment and capturing data for scientists to better understand and protect nature (available for free in the App Store or on Google Play).
• GLOBE Observer: Make environmental observations that complement NASA satellite observations to help scientists studying Earth and the global environment (available for free in the App Store or on Google Play). The GLOBE Observer App currently includes four main tools: Clouds, Mosquito Habitat Mapper, Land Cover and Trees.

Podcasts

• Sustainable(ish) with Jen Gale: learn about easy, everyday sustainability (available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and her website).
• A Sustainable Mind with Marjorie Alexander: A woman of color hosts an inspiring, motivating, and action-oriented podcast (available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and her website).
• The Energy Gang by Greentech Media: discusses cleantech, renewables, and the environment (available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and their website).
• How to Save a Planet by Glimlet: Asks big questions, provides solutions, and overall climate crisis content (available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and their website).
• NASA podcasts (Curious Universe; Houston, We Have a Podcast; Small Steps, Giant Leaps; On a Mission; The Invisible Network; and more!).

Books

Checkout a book (or two!) from these best selling and must-read lists:

• Best Sellers in Ecology
• 21 Best New Sustainability Books to Read in 2021
• 32 Best New Climate Change Books to Read in 2021
• 90 Best Environmental Science Books of All Time
• Earthday.org’s 15 Books for Budding Environmentalists

• Consider thrift shopping for your clothes.
• Make your next vacation in the state a green one.
• Try to forgo meat one day per week.
• Check out these local spots for fun outdoor activities:
  • Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia Beach (fishing, hiking, hunting, paddling)
  • First Landing State Park, Virginia Beach (hiking, swimming, fishing, boating)
  • Sandy Bottom Nature Park, Hampton (Biking, Boating, Disc Golf, Fishing)
  • Rail Trails in Virginia
• Try this easy method for indoor composting.
• Opt for reusable bags instead of plastic bags.