Earth day is celebrated every year on the 22nd of April. Earth Day was created in the year 1970 and was made to encourage action to protect the Earth’s natural resources. Earth Day is a time for people, communities, and groups to come together and address the environmental issues that we face, such as climate change and pollution. Normally, on Earth Day people like to do some type of activity. Activities might include tree planting or helping clean up roads. Activities like this can help us understand how important it is to help make our Earth better. Over the years, Earth Day has grown into a holiday that is celebrated all over the world. 

Earth Day was first started on the 22nd of April 1970 and first started off as environmental consciousness during the 1960’s which was influenced by Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring, because the book spread awareness about how dangerous pollution is and the dangers that it could bring to the earth. U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson started Earth Day in the hope of it becoming a worldwide movement about protecting our Earth and our environment.

This holiday is a very significant day and may have special memories for different people. Valeria Nunez said, “Growing up we never really celebrated Earth Day as it’s not really a custom to my culture, but when I first heard of it, it seemed very intriguing because I had never heard of it before being here.”

“Earth Day has a very significant meaning to me because I remember back in elementary school my teachers always used to make us help clean the playground and we used to color coloring pages which had some kind of relation to Earth Day,” said Mackensi Hernandez. 

Earth Day is the perfect day to take part in some Earth Day-themed activities. Most people, when celebrating Earth Day, like to go outside and camp for the day without electricity or anything that uses harmful chemicals that can be released into the atmosphere. Some examples are batteries, factory smoke, and harmful chemicals.

Another way to celebrate Earth Day is by hosting or participating in a community clean-up event. A community clean-up event is when people who volunteer get together to pick up trash and litter in their community. “ I have never been to or done a community clean-up before, but it sounds like a very interesting thing to do for Earth Day,” said freshman Joselyn Sanchez. “I would do a community clean-up if I ever got the chance of doing one, I think it would be fun,” said Valeria.

Our school’s environmental club works hard to help our community. We asked one of the founders of the OHS Environmental Club, Ms. Heather Grant,  a few questions about Earth Day and what it means to them. “To me, Earth Day is about reconnecting with nature and remembering why it’s worth protecting. I love the peace and happiness that being outside brings — whether it’s hiking, swimming, or just sitting under a tree. That joy makes me feel passionate about taking care of the planet. I think environmental stewardship is so important because nature gives us so much, and it’s up to us to make sure future generations get to experience that same beauty and wonder,” said Ms. Grant.

Ms.Grant was also asked, “Do you think that schools should start teaching about the environment and how we should take care of our earth during health classes or science classes?” She responded with  “Yes, I definitely think schools should start teaching more about the environment and how to take care of the Earth, whether it’s during health classes, science classes, or even as a topic of its own. I feel it’s very important to educate young people early about the world around them and the role they play in protecting it. Environmental issues are complex and connected to many parts of our lives, from health to economics to technology, so they deserve thorough study. Here at Osbourn, I highly recommend that students consider taking the AP Environmental Science course. It’s a great way to deepen your knowledge, understand real-world environmental challenges, and learn practical solutions. By getting educated, students can become strong advocates and leaders for a healthier planet.” 

Now that you know the problems that our earth faces daily, what are some of your ideas to help out our community and environment? Tell us in the comments!