Earth Month 2024: See You at the Festivals!

By Peter Aronson

We are thrilled to announce that the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (NYLCVEF) will be out on the streets helping New Yorkers celebrate Earth Month in April and Earth Day on April 22.

“Every day is essentially Earth Day at the League, but there is no doubt that April is always special,” said Lea Giddins, NYLCVEF’s Director of Civic and Community Engagement. “It’s when the world’s collective attention turns towards the need to protect our environment, and with the impacts of climate change accelerating, I don’t think there’s ever been a more important time to educate people about the existential threat of a warming planet and the steps we need to take to reverse it.”

The first Earth Day, 54 years ago on April 22, 1970, was begun as a grassroots movement by Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson and activist Denis Hayes, to raise awareness about the country’s increasingly perilous environmental condition. The movement was inspired by an oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. With little government regulation, pollution was rampant. On that first Earth Day, a reported 20 million Americans participated. In less than a year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was established and within a few years three key pieces of legislation became law: the Clean Air Act of 1970, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.

The theme of the 2024 Earth Day is “Planet vs. Plastics.” “EARTHDAY.ORG is unwavering in our commitment to end plastics for the sake of human and planetary health, demanding a 60 percent reduction in the production of ALL plastics by 2040.”

As of this writing, NYLCVEF will be active participants at five Earth Day/Earth Month events this April, culminating with three events on the weekend before Earth Day Monday. 

[We will update this article as more events are scheduled.]

The events are:

On Saturday April 13, the Saratoga Sustainability Fair will be held at Skidmore College, in Saratoga Springs, from 10 am to 3 pm. The fair will include an EV auto show, events for children, and panel discussions, including one on regenerative agriculture. Food will be sold. Stop by to say hello to NYLCVEF’s Community Organizer Juan Torres and Programs Associate Alexis Hidalgo! 

On Sunday, April 14, the annual Earth Day Initiative will take place in Union Square, in Manhattan, from noon to 6 pm. The event will include environmental games and activities for kids and panel discussions with leading environmentalists and activists. Ample food will be available in the area. Stop by to say hello to NYLCVEF’s Senior Vice President Josh Klainberg and Special Assistant Jake Patel! 

On Saturday, April 20, the New York City Department of Transportation will hold its annual Car-Free, Open Streets celebration at select locations in all five boroughs. First begun in Manhattan in 2016, the event has now spread to all five boroughs, connecting open streets to plazas and promoting “activism and education surrounding climate change.” Musical performers, artists and others are encouraged to perform at select sites around the city. To sign up, please complete this form. Stop by to say hello to NYLCVEF’s Community Organizer Juan Torres and Deputy Director for NYC Policy Alia Soomro!

On Sunday, April 21, from noon to 3 pm, the Earth Day Festival 2024 will be hosted by Bedford 2030 at the Bedford Hills Train Station in Bedford, NY. Live music, kid-friendly environmental activities and educational discussions will be offered, including ones on how to grow a climate-friendly yard, how to grow a pollinator garden and how to eat sustainably. Free offerings will include a bike safety check and textile recycling. Stop by to say hello to NYLCVEF’s Communications Director Devin Callahan! 

And, finally, on that same Sunday, April 21, the House of Yes!, 2 Wyckoff Ave., Brooklyn, will host its Earth Love Fest: Block Party from noon to 7 pm. The event will have DJ music, an open-air eco market, a yoga class, a clothing swap, a fashion show, family-friendly activities and educational panels. Stop by to say hello to NYLCVEF’s Deputy Director of Politics Casey Petrashek!

We look forward to Earth Month and Earth Day and helping expand awareness about the environmental perils we all face due to global warming and what we can do to help alleviate the problem. Please feel free to come by our booths at any of the aforementioned events. We would love to chat!