Earth Day Every Day

Posted: April 6th, 2020 9:06 PM

Last Updated: March 17th, 2022 4:00 PM

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

Access energy bill reduction programs with East Bay Community Energy, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, 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 sitings 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)

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 CORE (Communities of Oakland Respond to Emergencies) 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 priortitize 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’!