Earth Day Activities
The youngest generations will be the ones to live with the most devastating effects of climate change and plastic pollution.
Every April 22 is Earth Day and this year’s Earth Day theme focuses on Investing in Our Planet. There are plenty of Earth Day activities we can do in our day-to-day lives that create impactful change for the future. Want to get more involved? Read more about our top choices for Dana Point earth day activities.
There are so many reasons why it’s important to connect with nature. For one, when you see the earth thriving, it reminds us all that we are part of a complex ecological system and everything in it has its perfect and unique place. Earth day activities help to bring communities together and support taking a deeper dive into the significant impacts we as humans have on the planet as a whole. Generations can come together to see the bigger picture and to understand how our human existence has both a profound and detrimental impact on the planet.
Eight Earth Day Activities to Support Earth Day 2022
1. Connect with the Ocean
Reading about the ocean’s wildlife is hugely important to learn as much as we can about what lies below the water’s surface. Connecting with nature and seeing whales and dolphins in their natural environment can change you forever. Life-changing activities like whale watching re-center your attention to the sea giving you an up-close and very personal invitation to be a part of the earth. The beauty that has been created in what we cannot see our touch every day, makes this #1 on our top five reasons to go whale watching too.
Connecting with the environment makes for the best earth-day activities! Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be “one with the pod” and swim with the dolphins? Aboard Manute’a, our flagship whale watching vessel, you can dive in without ever getting wet in our glass-bottom boat tours. That is right! Manute’a offers underwater viewing pods that will take you on an extraordinary adventure and bring you face to face with dolphins living their very best life.
Connecting with nature has never been easier aboard any of the safaris at Capt. Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari Tours. Choose from super-safe and fast zodiac whale watching trips or our dolphin and whale watching Signature Safaris aboard catamaran-style vessels. Boating makes for the most fun earth-day activities, and we have so many options to accommodate all of your friends, family, small groups, or private parties. Whether you are celebrating Earth Day or just want a chance to connect with the open ocean, Capt. Dave’s Dolphin Safari is the place to be!
2. Ocean / Beachfront Clean Up
Beachfront communities all over the world care deeply about the impact human existence has on our planet. As major tourist destinations from coast to coast and from country to country, beach cities get their fair share of impact, resulting in larger environmental factors that can affect the nearby wildlife who live nearby. Whether you are vacationing this year or are just a local, be sure to check your city’s listing for a local beach clean-up. If you are planning an upcoming trip, you may be able to stop at one along your journey. Every little bit helps earth-day activities all over the world and you’ll be surprised at just how much refuse you can find. Help keep our coastal beaches clean and pristine so our coastal wildlife does not feel the impact of our choices on land. And remember there are tons of apps out there that collect data on refuse clean up, so do your part and log what you collect. You will be surprised at how a little time can make such a huge difference!
3. Just say NO to plastic and Styrofoam
In today’s climate, there is no room for plastic waste or Styrofoam. Doing everything you can to avoid using these highly unsustainable products is one of our top earth-day activities that are vital to earth’s survival. The simple impact of opting to use a refillable cup for your coffee instead of grabbing Styrofoam “to go” is not only easy but, necessary! Not a coffee drinker and prefer water instead? Grab your refillable drink bottle and never waste plastic again. If you do find yourself on the go, without your favorite drink bottle nearby, be sure to find something served up in a recyclable vessel. Our Capt. Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari cardboard boxed waters are the perfect solution. Our new box water containers are available for a small charge on the Dolphin Deck before and after all of our trips.
4. Plant a Tree
Looking for earth-day activities you can do with the whole family is easy. Investing in the planet is always a successful financial investment and starting by planting a tree is a simple act that makes big changes. “More than 18 million acres of forests every year — that’s about 27 soccer fields of forest lost every minute.” – Earthday.org Taking the time to plant trees and support forests is a simple act that anyone can do. Research what organizations are the right fit for you and get your family planting today.
5. Get Moving
Earth-day activities would not be complete without running around outside. Join Moon Joggers 6th annual Virtual Earth Day 1M 5K 10K 13.1 26.2, supporting Earth Allies. Whether you want to run, walk or bring friends, strollers, and people of all ages, a virtual community event brings people together while creating a low impact on the earth while supporting the common goal of supporting our earth’s future. For the whole month of April, you can choose the distance you want to compete and everyone will take a medal home to honor your effort. This is one of the Earth-day activities that will have a cost but is only $18 to participate. Plus, at least 15% of every registration to Wild Earth Allies, whose mission is to protect vital areas of our natural world for the benefit of wildlife, habitats, and people by inspiring collaborative action. Check out the Moon Joggers website for all the details and Wild Earth Allies for more insight on their involvement in other Earth Day activities.
6. Support Environmentally Friendly Organizations
This year, Resilient Pallisades Earth Day Festival in Los Angeles, California is bringing local LA-based earth-friendly businesses together in one spot. This year’s earth-day activities take place on April 16th at 10:00 am at the Resilient Pallisades Earth Day Festival in Los Angeles. Want to know more about how you can support environmental organizations? Los Angeles-based organizations will be tabled up at this sustainably friendly event. Organized in collaboration with the offices of Los Angeles City Councilmember Mike Bonin and Los Angeles City Mayor Eric Garcetti, admission is free and parking at Will Rogers State Park is $3/hour and $12 all day. Be sure to bring your own reusable water bottle to refill at one of the hydration stations.
7. Choose Sustainable Fish
Participating in earth-day activities doesn’t always mean that you have to do something. Sometimes it means just the opposite! Making the choice to stop doing something is equally as important as starting sometimes. Limiting eating fish this month or all year and buying fish from grocery stores and markets that serve sustainably caught fish play a huge impact in the fishing industry. If you are unsure of where to begin, check out Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch list for a comprehensive list of where to grab your sustainably caught seafood feast.
8. Help the Monarchs
Keeping our pollinators moving are earth-day activities that will show results for years to come. Without our incredible butterfly pollinators, Western monarch butterflies face serious demise. Their brilliant and robust shades of colorfully painted orange and black with white dots are dying from deforestation of grassland to farmland, climate change in both their winter hibernation zones and summer breeding grounds, use of toxic pesticides, and the threat of reduced food sources. With an already brief lifespan of six to eight months, native milkweed plays a crucial role in the survival of western monarch butterflies. Only embarking on their incredible migration journey once in their lifetime, it is crucial that their food source is not depleted. Grab a packet of seeds up at our dolphin deck and keep our monarchs moving! Doing your part to support earth day activities your entire family and friends can all partake in, has never been so easy!
Until next time,
Jess Wright
First Mate and Marine Naturalist
Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari