Earth Day in New York City 2023

A more necessary, prescient and action-oriented day than Earth Day is hard to imagine. Earth Day is Thursday, April 22nd, 2023. The official theme for this year’s Earth Day is Invest In Our Planet. It presents another opportunity to get involved in pressing climate change issues. Here are some ways you can celebrate Earth Day in New York City this year.

Join in the Earth Day Initiative events in Union Square to connect with experts, organizations and other like minded individuals over climate issues, environmental communities, and more. The event brings together environmental non-profits and climate campaigns, interactive workshops, and speeches.

Workshops include:

Make your own bioplastics

12-1 pm

Bio artist Lorena Rodriguez Ostia will lead a workshop in creating gelatin-based bioplastics, which can be taken home for use. All ages.

RSVP for free here

Build a climate career pathway 

1:15-1:45 pm

In this workshop, participants will get career-coaching and support to create a career that makes an impact on climate issues. Resume review, interview support, and self-branding discussion and more will be offered.

RSVP for free here

Play a green energy board game

2-3 pm

This workshop, led by Richard Reiss, co-creator of the educational board game Energetic, sets users up to understand carbon-neutral energy and how to bring more of it to NYC. Ages 11 and up.

RSVP for free here

“Ask a climate scientist” office hours

3:15-3:45 pm

Join in a live “Ask Me Anything” session with climate scientists representing local institutions including NYU and Columbia University.

RSVP for free here

Explore climate justice youth activism with Fridays For Future NYC

4:00-4:30 pm

Chat with youth climate activists from Fridays for Future NYC on getting involved in the campaign to call for climate action at any age.

Write to your elected officials about New York climate policy

4:45-5:15 pm

Learn from youth organizers at TREEAge in a tutorial on letter writing to NY state legislature and policies to look out for in 2023.

RSVP for free here

Sunday, April 16, 2023

12-6 pm

Union Square

Broadway To 4 Ave., E 14 St. To E 17 St.

New York, NY 10003

Earth Day Initiative also has a campaign called Do Just 1 Thing. It encourages all of us to be climate communicators. “Studies show that the most effective messengers on most topics are people’s friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances. People are vastly more likely to care about an issue if they hear people from their own community talking about it and far more likely to act if they are invited to do so by people from their own community.” So post on social media so that your friends, family, and acquaintances know that the climate is an issue you care about. You can also tag public officials, local businesses and corporations whose products or services you use, and community leaders to draw additional attention to causes that are important for you. The Earth Day Initiative spin off project has provided some sample language and graphics on their website.

Earth Day is about appreciating and protecting our planet’s natural habitats, spaces and rhythms. With this in mind, what better way to celebrate the Earth than by getting out in nature while in New York City? The NYC Parks have planned activities including birding, tree planting, Earth Day storytime, a planting workshop, children and climate workshops, spring foraging, and more. The events span parks across the five boroughs. For a list of activities and dates see the NYC Parks website.

The Museum of Natural History is organizing a full day of family-friendly activities, performances, and lectures showcasing local and international efforts devoted to preserving planet Earth. For a complete schedule of events which include hands-on activities such as: the pop-up science experiment “In Search of Earth’s Secrets.” and the Billion Oyster Project, which is restoring oyster reefs to New York Harbor in collaboration with New York City communities. Catch the lecture, Back to the Future: Insights into Future Climate Change with Kira Lawrence, Markle Professor of Geology at Lafayette College and a paleoclimatologist, to learn how her research into past climate conditions can help us better understand how our planet is reacting to increased levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.

For a complete list of activities, see the museum’s Earth Fest page.

Saturday April 22, 2022
Activity stations will be available from 10 am through 4 pm.
Milstein Hall of Ocean Life

American Museum of Natural History

200 Central Park West

New York, NY 10024

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