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'!