April 22, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! And while your typical outdoor activities with friends or family may not happen this year due to the pandemic, there are still ways to celebrate, appreciate and respect our one and only home.

First, some quick history: Earth Day began back in 1970, when nearly 20 million Americans (at the time, 10% of the US population) gathered together to raise public awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment and public health due to increasing pollution. College crowds, activists and many passionate others took to the streets to voice their concern. By the end of that first year, the United States Environmental Protection Agency was created, and many first-of-their-kind environmental laws were passed, including the Clear Air Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Twenty years later, 1990's Earth Day celebration went global, with more than 200 million people in 141 countries coming together to celebrate and campaign for a common cause.

Today, Earth Day is officially the largest secular observance in the world, with more than a billion people around the globe participating in large and small ways alike.

With the shelter-in-place protocols this year, www.earthday.org has created new and unique ways for those interested, to celebrate while practicing safe social distancing. Some new features found on the website include:

-Making or taking an online environmental class

-Submitting earth, nature and living artwork

-Learning new recipes for plant-based meals

-Starting a community climate discussion

-Participating in the great (SOLO) global cleanup effort

In addition, Earth Day Live is an on-going stream of activists and political celebrities such as Dave Matthews, Elizabeth Warren and Ed Begley Jr. that can be found here: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-live/

So what can we all do physically when the pandemic ends and we can safely get outside with friends and family again?

Here are a few ideas to help get you started:

-Organize a community or neighborhood cleanup of biking, hiking and walking trails. Don't forget the trash bags and gloves!

-Talk with local officials about planting trees in areas that are accessible. You might be surprised how open to the idea they and your neighbors might be, especially in local parks and areas that everyone can enjoy.

-Use Nextdoor or a local Facebook neighborhood page to organize a phone book or paper recycling effort. Recycling plants are usually very good about accepting items collected this way (if you're not sure, call first to confirm)

-Start a community garden. It's a great way to learn how to grow your own fruits and vegetables and helps create a sense of pride between you and your neighbors.

While we have some limitations on what we can physically do on this 50th Earth Day, we are still finding ways to celebrate and respect our planet. Happy Earth Day, 2020!

Meteorologist Andrew Kozak