Earth Day is Sunday April 22nd and there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate all weekend long.

Earth Day was first created in 1970. Before the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Clean Water Act, or the Clean Air Act, factories were legally allowed to dump waste into streams and emit pollutants to the air. The smog was so thick in some cities that you couldn’t see through it. These issues were not only damaging the environment, but were hurting our health. In the spring of 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day to bring awareness to these issues. That December, the EPA was born.

Since the creation of the EPA, many environmental and health issues have significantly improved. Each year we continue to celebrate Earth Day as a way to bring about awareness and show our appreciation for the countless benefits we get from this planet.

Central Florida Earth Day 2018 Events

Celebrate Earth Day this year at one of these free, family-friendly events:

St. Cloud Earth Day, Saturday April 21, 2018 9am-2pm at Chisolm Park, St. Cloud. This FREE Event will offer music, vendors, planting, kids activities, and hands on demos! For more information, please visit www.stcloud.org.

Central Florida Earth Day, Saturday, April 21, 2018 10am-6pm at Lake Eola Park (east side), Orlando. Central Florida Earth Day is an exciting day of colorful and educational exhibits and activities. Admission is FREE! For more information visit www.CFEarthDay.org.

Other Ways to Celebrate

There are many other ways to celebrate. Try one of these ideas to reflect and have some fun this Earth Day.

• Go for a hike. Visit Split Oak Forest, Twin Oaks Conservation Area, Shingle Creek Regional Park, or any of the other beautiful natural areas and parks in Osceola County. Visit www.osceola.org for park locations and hours.
• Plant a tree. Register to attend a one-hour class on Tree Selection and Planting and take a free tree home the same day. Classes are offered in English and en Español. Call UF/IFAS Extension Osceola at 321-697-3000 for more information. Registration required. Register at http://freetreeosceola.eventbrite.com.
  • April 21st – UF/IFAS Extension Osceola – located in Osceola Heritage Park – 1921 Kissimmee Valley Lane
  • April 28th – Poinciana – Mary Jane Arrington Gym and Aquatics Center – 625 Country Club Drive
• Make one small change. Conserve water, recycle more, start a compost pile, or add native plants to your garden. Commit to one small act and reap the environmental benefits.
• Have a technology-free day (or hour). There’s no doubt that technology has improved our quality of life. Without it, we would not have modern solutions to agriculture, clean air, or drinkable water. But if you’ve been feeling too tied to your phone lately, Earth Day may be a great excuse to put it down for a bit and enjoy a technology-free moment.
• Go outside! And if nothing else, go outside and enjoy some fresh air. Go for a walk, play with your kids, or simply enjoy a quiet moment on your porch.

For more information contact Krista Stump at UF/IFAS Extension in Osceola County at stumpk@ufl.edu or visit https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/osceola.

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