Earth Day Every Day

Celebrate Earth Day every day of the year with these 50+ home-based and online ideas!

Ideas targeted towards a wide audience of all ages are are compiled below. To view these ideas grouped in broad thematic categories, navigate back to www.oaklandearthday.org.

Click each link below to access home-based and online resources.

• 20 daily actions for Earth Day from Stopwaste - calendar, 20 day journal, 15 day journal
• Access energy bill reduction, payment support, and efficiency programs(DOCX, 23KB)
• Access energy bill reduction programs with East Bay Community Energy, East Bay Community Energy Reduction Programs - Spanish, East Bay Community Energy Reduction Programs - Chinese, East Bay Community Energy Reduction Programs - Vietnamese, East Bay Community Energy Reduction Programs - Hindi
• Access teen resources for Earth Day from Oakland Public Library
• Access water conservation tips and rebate programs from East Bay Municipal Utility District
• Apply for a Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Grant for creative environmental projects by youth
• Apply for a Captain Planet Foundation ecoSolution grants - for youth environmental educators
• Apply for Keep Oakland Beautiful grants to fund community cleanup, restoration, and beautification
• Apply for Diablo Fire Safe Council Grants to assist with fire fuels management
• Assess your home for solar and battery backup systems and subsidies
• Audit and learn about your home water use and ways to save (available also in Spanish)
• Build a bee hotel and help shelter pollinators
• Calculate your carbon footprint from home, transportation and waste with the US-EPA calculator
• Calculate your carbon footprint, and see related student curricula from International Student Carbon Footprint Challenge
• Check out books for Earth Day recommended by Oakland Public Library
• Contribute bumble bee stings to this collaborative tracking and conservation effort
• Contribute daily health status to help track the COVID-19 pandemic
• Curricula compiled by the UC College Naturalist
• Curriculum - Distance learning resources from California Department of EducationCurriculum - Distance learning resources from California Department of Education
• Curriculum from Community Resources for Science
• Curriculum - Distance learning resources from California Department of Education
• Curriculum - Ecorise
• Curriculum - Family backyard environmental activities from Project Learning Tree
• Curriculum from California Environmental Literacy Foundation
• Curriculum from Community Resources for Science
• Curriculum from National Environmental Education Week
• Curriculum from San Mateo County Office of Education
• Curriculum from the Edible Schoolyard
• Curriculum from the Santa Cruz Climate Action Network
• Curriculum K-12 and some in Spanish from California Education and Environment Curriculum
• Curriculum of home nature based activities from Green Schoolyards America
• Curriculum: 3rd-8th grade leveled environmental classes with Mycelium Youth Network
• Curriculum: bird activities for kids from Golden Gate Audubon Society
• Curriculum: Climate Change lessons from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Curriculum: K-12 virtual tours and at home learning from California State Parks
• Curriculum: preschool through high school from California Academy of Sciences
• Curriculum: weekly environmental activities and lessons from the Children in Nature Network
• Design a home greywater system. Download free manual from greywateraction.org or check out book "Greywater, Greenlandscape"
• Detain the rain with rain barrels and other rainwater capture systems
• Find Alameda County Healthy Homes Program resources to keep your home safe from hazards such as lead, mold, and pests
• Find info on residential and business waste disposal service in Oakland
• Find out how your food choices affect the climate with this quiz from the University of California's Carbon Neutrality Initiative
• Find resources for more sustainable consumption from USDN
• Find safety ratings for household, health, and food products via the Environmental Working Group
• Find, donate, and volunteer COVID-19 relief
• Gather old oil, paint, stains, cleaners and other household chemicals for a future drop-off at your hazardous materials center
• Homeschool with environmental resources from KIDS for the BAY
• How sustainable is your lifestyle? Size up your footprint with this interactive quiz from the Carbon Footprint Network
• Identify plants, bugs, and other backyard life with Seek iNaturalist
• Keep Fats, Oil and Grease (FOG) out of the drain and keeps your pipes clear and prevent sewage backups and contamination
• Kids' activity - the Stopwaste Garbology Adventure
• Launder clothes the eco way
• Learn about Oakland's Equitable Climate Action Plan (ECAP)(PDF, 60MB)
• Learn about Oakland's Sustainability Program
• Learn disaster response skills with the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
• Learn how your home uses energy and receive a free energy savings kit worth up to $70
• Learn safe and healthy gardening tips from Alameda County Clean Water Program
• Learn water sense tips from the US EPA
• Listen to stories of leading environmental ideas and leaders via Podship Earth
• Make non-toxic pest control sprays with household ingredients for indoor plants
• Map your Oakland story and share it with the Oakland Museum
• Measure home water use with the Pacific Institute's free water and energy calculator
• Nature journaling with the John Muir Laws guide
• Pitch in to citizen and community science research from home
• Play the game about what goes where for home waste disposal in Oakland
• Practice water safe home maintenance tips from the Alameda County Clean Water Program
• Read Bay Nature's coverage of local biodiversity
• Read Drawdown's compendium of big picture climate change solutions
• Read science, history, and conservation of East Bay creeks
• Reduce electric bills and pollution through East Bay Community Energy
• Reduce use of throw-away single use items - and commit to reusables
• Reduce waste, bills, and grocery store trips with this fridge check from Stopwaste
• Register for PERC (Personal Emergency Preparedness Classes) classes to increase household resiliency and emergency preparedness
• Replace water-thirsty lawns with drought-tolerant and native vegetation
• Report needed community infrastructure fixes to OAK311
• Safe and healthy gardening tips; (More info: Building Raised Beds; East Bay Planting Times; Seed Saving for Beginners ; Seed Saving Advanced; Weed Control)
• Save energy with these Environment America tips for each room of your house
• Save water and money with water conservation techniques and rebates from EBMUD for landscaping, plumbing and technology upgrades
• Speak to a Home Energy Advisor and plan a home energy upgrade
• Start a home compost system
• Take the City Nature Challenge - in and around your home
• Take these easy steps to reduce home toxins
• Take this quiz from BayREN to learn about improving indoor air quality
• Test your climate change knowledge with this EarthDay.org quiz
• Test your water pipe material and report it to a national study to help prioritize areas for water testing and infrastructure upgrades
• Venture out to your backyard for an insect safari (Oakland insect guide ; Insect finder; Insect identification help; Insect appreciation music)
• Virtual field trips to and about the Bay with Stepping Out Stepping In
• Virtually visit California native plant gardens with the "Bringing Back the Natives" tour
• Watch Beyond Plastic video documentaries
• Watch environmental movies from the Oakland Public Library
• Watch short films about Oakland's trails and trees
• Watch short videos to learn about limiting exposure to harmful chemicals in the home
• Watch the Exploratorium's environmental science videos
• Watch the Saving San Francisco Bay documentary
• Watch the Story of Stuff for a deeper look into consumption impacts
• Watch this Alameda County video about sustainable purchasing
• Watch Washington DC Environmental Film Festival movies
• Wipes clog pipes! Trash em' Don't Flush em'!