The Minnesota national park sites are teaming up this year to bring a virtual National Park Week experience to you. Explore all six sites through live online activities, downloadable workbooks, solo adventuring in a local park, trip planning live chats, and connecting on social media.
Want to support your national park during National Park Week? Learn how today!
Earth Day 50th Anniversary
Earth Day is a spirited opportunity to bring international awareness to issues and topics that our local river community engages with on a daily basis. The holiday to honor the earth and promote healthy and sustainable environmental practices was founded 50 years ago in the United States in 1970, and has since expanded into Earth Week and even Earth Month for some organizations. We believe that Earth Day is a state of mind and can be practiced and celebrated every day of the year, wherever you are.
Advocate for Environmental Youth Education
One immediate action you can take today is to advocate for a River Learning Center on the Mississippi River in Saint Paul. This city-owned project will offer year-round river-oriented experiences focused on the land, water and culture of the river, enhancing public connections to this incredible natural resource and inspiring the next generation to understand and become involved in solutions to climate change. We need your help telling your state legislators that you support this project.
DIY Trash Pickup
In lieu of our annual spring cleanup event, consider taking a bag to collect items on your next walk or hike. Use the following best practices: wear protective gloves, sturdy footwear, and bright colored clothing or a safety vest; beware of other traffic (on foot, bicycles, vehicles, etc.); do not overfill bags; do not pick up unsafe items (ex. sharp objects, needles, chemical containers). Send photos of your work to info@parkconnection.org to be featured.
Earth Day Every Day
You can also volunteer to adopt a drain, pull garlic mustard or remove buckthorn from your personal property to help stop the spread of invasive species. Learn how to plant a pollinator patch in your yard and apply for a grant to help pay for materials or plant a tree on the cheap. Bike more, drive less. Eat local food by joining a CSA. Join a community solar garden, a citizen science project or water monitoring project. Or simply spend some time outside.