How do you do Earth Day?

by JCC staff

Earth Day was founded on April 22, 1970, to raise awareness of environmental issues.

The coalition that pushed for the first celebration more than 40 years ago was diverse, with supporters getting behind the day for a range of reasons.

It’s in this spirit that the 2^nd Annual JCC Indianapolis Earth Day Community Celebration was organized to include more than 50 exhibits speaking to a range of environmental issues. These interactive, educational booths are meant to encourage a more thoughtful approach to how we as individuals impact our communities and planet.

So, which of our Earth Day focal points most engage you? 

• All aspects of gardening: Learn about composting, hydroponics, seedling plantings, constructing a mini greenhouse, building a rain barrel, the underworld life of earthworms in your garden and much more, presented by master gardeners and educators.

• Alternative energy sources: Check out vegetable oil, solar, motion dynamics and other ways to generate energy. Meet the Purdue Solar Racing team and check out their solar-powered car. 

• Creative recycling: Make sun-catchers, birdhouses and terrariums from plastic bottles, create a bouquet of flowers from phonebooks and plastic bags, learn origami to unfold something beautiful by reusing paper. Discover what you can do with unwanted electronics and how you can transform ordinary household items into something usable. 

• Education: Try forecasting the weather with a Fox 59 meteorologist. Answer trivia questions about nature and the environment and “win some green” (cash!). 

• Pedaling: We encourage you to “arrive green” and ride your bicycles to the Earth Day Community Celebration at the JCC. Pedal & Park will offer free and secure bicycle parking. 

The JCC Earth Day Community Celebration is a free, family-friendly event sponsored by Indianapolis Power & Light Company on Sunday, April 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.