April 21, 2020
Earth Day will look a little different in Lawrence and Douglas County this year. In March, the City of Lawrence and Douglas County announced that the annual Earth Day celebration in South Park would be postponed due to safety recommendations in response to COVID-19. In lieu of the in-person event, Earth Day 2020 will be celebrated during a week of virtual events that will bring the community together — even as we remain physically apart.
Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22. This year is the 20th anniversary of the City of Lawrence Earth Day celebration and the 50th celebration of Earth Day worldwide. This year’s local celebration follows the theme of “community well-being.” It will honor the tradition of years past by bringing together our community and showcasing ways we can work together to care for each other and our planet.
The week-long event series will include community-driven workshops, activities and resources that can be accessed from the safety of your home. Videos will be pre-recorded and uploaded to the City of Lawrence YouTube page (youtube.com/user/lawrenceksvideo) and the City of Lawrence Earth Day website (lawrenceks.org/earth-day). The City’s Earth Day website also catalogs numerous ways Earth Day is being celebrated by organizations across our community.
Some highlighted activities are detailed below. Additional information is available on the City of Lawrence Earth Day website.
- Self-Care Yoga (for all levels) taught by Lawrence-area instructor Sally Birmingham of Be Moved Studio
- Beginning Home Food Gardening with farmer and educator Pantaleon Florez III of Maseualkualli Farms
- True Power for Empowered Action in the Face of Crisis with Dr. Barbara Gilbert, a licensed clinical psychologist with a private practice in Lawrence
- Poetry to Find Light during COVID-19 with published poet Mercedes Lucero
- Awareness and Action to Care for our Community with staff from the United Way of Douglas County
- New Rules for Renewable Energy for Kansas Residents with the Climate + Energy Project
Additional interactive activities, including Earth art for children, will also be uploaded to the website.
For questions, please contact Kim Criner Ritchie, Sustainability & Food Systems Analyst, 785-832-5157, kcrinerritchie@douglascountyks.org