With unprecedented numbers of people finding respite in the outdoors and connecting with the natural world during the pandemic, Earth Day (Friday, April 22) has never been more anticipated. Mass Audubon, the largest nature-based conservation organization in New England, is responding to the moment by planning an entire month’s worth of activities and programming, geared toward caring for the environment and one another.
As April is also Celebrate Diversity Month, the theme running through Mass Audubon’s Earth Month offerings is “Diversity, Community, Resilience”—representing benefits crucial to the health of both natural and human communities.
The conservation organization is inviting people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences to participate in a series of events throughout April. These range from volunteer and advocacy/climate action opportunities to nature-based activities highlighting the unique ways we experience, appreciate, and enjoy nature—collectively and as individuals.
“We are living in a time when both human communities and ecological communities are under great stress. It only makes sense that we would protect and heal nature as a way of protecting and healing ourselves,” said Nia Keith, Mass Audubon Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice.
“Combining Earth Month with Celebrate Diversity Month offers an especially timely opportunity to support, strengthen, and celebrate the broad spectrum of nature’s beauty and the myriad ways in which people enjoy spending time outdoors,” Keith noted.
Dedicated programs for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ folks, and people with accessibility needs. Nature scavenger hunts for kids (and their families!). Sanctuary-based trail and stream cleanups and garden preparations: Participating in Earth Month means enjoying these activities and a whole range of opportunities for adults, families, and groups to take action in support of nature and their local communities throughout the month of April.
And with Earth Day taking place during April Vacation Week this year, the timing could not be better for kids to forge their own connections with nature through Mass Audubon’s April Vacation Week camps.
To participate in Mass Audubon Earth Month activities and to learn more, please visit www.massaudubon.org/earthmonth.
Mass Audubon is the largest nature-based conservation organization in New England. Founded in 1896 by two women who fought for the protection of birds, Mass Audubon carries on their legacy by focusing on the greatest challenges facing the environment today: the loss of biodiversity, inequitable access to nature, and climate change.