Earth Day is in the middle of National Park Week, and visiting a national park is the perfect way to celebrate the planet and help care for it. You’ll find many Earth Day national parks celebrations and ways to learn about earth sciences. National parks also emphasize how to care for the land and to conserve its resources for future generations. Let’s explore how you can celebrate Earth Day at national parks this year and every year.
Earth Day at the National Parks is April 22
RVers tend to love nature – that’s why we want to see so much of it! Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to focus on caring for our beautiful planet and the places our national parks protect. This year for Earth Day, the National Park System is sharing how you can become a steward of the planet’s resources. You can learn about earth science, conservation, and volunteering at the parks. As an added bonus, celebrate an early Earth Day and National Park Week with free entrance to all national parks on April 20, 2024.
Conservation of Land, Water, and Wildlife
The earth is our home, and it’s important that we take care of it. One way we can help protect our natural resources is by conserving land, water, and wildlife. Conservation of forests, wetlands, and wild spaces has many benefits for humans, animals, and nature alike.
Protecting wild and natural spaces preserves homes for wildlife, reduces air and water pollution, and protects endangered species. It also improves human life by maintaining recreational trails and areas, keeping water clean, and giving people a chance to enjoy the outdoors. Luckily, it’s easy to become an advocate for the planet and help keep nature clean and protected.
- Learn. Learn more about how you can help take care of our planet. The National Park Service is full of information on how you can get involved in conservation efforts and learn more about the national parks.
- Do. There are so many things we can do (especially as RVers) to help keep nature wild and protected. There are easy things like cleaning up litter at campsites, joining or donating to wildlife conservation or park services that protect our public lands, and looking at more sustainable ways to travel. We’ve got some great ideas on that below!
- Share. You can share your experiences and tips on protecting the earth on social media with the hashtags #EarthDay and #NationalParkWeek.
April is also Connected Conservation Month for the national parks. It’s a global movement that encourages working together on conservation efforts to protect wildlife, history, and the shared heritage of people. The movement looks for opportunities to protect America’s natural treasures and finds more ways for everyone to experience these beautiful places. Find out how to get involved in connected conservation on the NPS website.
How to Travel in an Eco-Friendly Way
Most Rvers love being out in nature and seeing as much of the world as they can. Unfortunately, traveling in an RV burns fuel and creates carbon emissions. It’s a conundrum, as we want to see all these incredible places but need motorized vehicles to get there. But there are things you can do to help conservation efforts without swearing off driving.
- Visit wildlife refuges and national parks. The entrance fees help keep these places running. And if you want to give more, donate!
- Make your own meals, and don’t waste food while RVing.
- Save water – it’s not just for sticks and bricks living. We’ve got all sorts of tips to help you save water while on the road.
- Virtually visit national parks to get your travel fix when you can’t go in person.
- Start an herb garden or even a regular garden – yes, even in your RV!
- Look into ecotourism when you travel – we have tips to help you see the earth in a more sustainable way.
Leave It As You Found It
Similar to the Leave No Trace principles, “leave it as you found it” is an unwritten rule that everyone should follow when camping, RVing, and getting outdoors. It’s pretty straightforward – leave outdoor spaces just like you found them. This means cleaning up your campsite when you’re finished, picking up your trash and taking it with you or throwing it into designated trash receptacles, and not destroying nature when boondocking.
With the rise in popularity of camping and RVing, more people are getting out in nature – which is great! However, public lands are also seeing an increase in litter, vandalism, and issues with animals eating or getting tangled in garbage when people don’t clean up after themselves. This not only spells disaster for the environment, but it could potentially lead to reduced dispersed camping privileges.
So follow the “leave it as you found it” rule and keep campsites beautiful for the next camper. If you want to take it even farther, clean up anything you find at a campsite and leave it better than you found it. Keeping gloves, trash bags, and even a trash picker with you can make it easy to clean up your campsite on your adventures.
Looking for more ideas on how to celebrate Earth Day in your RV? Check out our guide on How You Can Be More Earth Friendly When Traveling. We also have fun articles on the increasing popularity of wildlife bridges, more information on ecotourism, and easy tips on green living in an RV. And if you need an RV to visit any national parks on Earth Day, check out RVshare’s great variety of rigs across the country.
