Earth Month 2026: See You at the Festivals!

| April 12, 2026

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 throughout 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, 56 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 2026 Earth Day is Our Power, Our Planet: “Environmental progress is built through everyday action—from communities protecting ecosystems to innovators advancing solutions. Clean air, safe water, and climate resilience aren’t optional—they’re essential. For Earth Day 2026, we’re mobilizing at scale. Every action counts. Every voice matters.” — earthday.org

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.]

Where we’ll be:

April 17: SOMOS Albany

April 18: SOMOS Albany

April 18: Healthy Kids Day

April 18: Harlem Parks Walk & Talk

April 18: Suffolk County Veterans Resource Fair

April 18: Earth Day Festival

April 19: Earth Day 2026 Festival

April 19: APEC Open House & Clothing Swap

April 19: NYSF Earth Day Upcycled and Thrift Market

April 21: How Things Work 2026