Since 1970, April 22 has been established as a global holiday meant to celebrate the natural world, bring awareness to environmental issues, and work together to take action. This year's Earth Day is themed "Protect our Species" to highlight the drastic decline of plant and wildlife populations due to human activity, like deforestation, habitat loss, trafficking and poaching, unsustainable agriculture, pollution and pesticides which has led to a reduction in our planets biodiversity. Here are some ways to celebrate Earth Day to do your part for this global movement, because when everyone comes together, the impact can be monumental.

Participate in a cleanup

This is one of the easiest ways to get involved. You can go out to any part of your community or a place you know that is filled with litter, like the beach, and just start picking up trash. Grab a big group, a couple people, or just go out by yourself. Every piece of trash that you remove from the environment will prevent an animal from consuming it and keep it from staying in the earth for thousands of years.

If you want to get involved with one of Earth Day Networks organized cleanups, you can check the list here to see if there is one happening in your city.

       Bigstock

Plant a tree

This is a simple solution to the very large problem of carbon emissions. Because of major deforestation levels, the world is losing our best option to reduce our emissions levels and clean up our air. By planting a tree or starting a garden, you are replacing a tree that has been chopped down in the rainforest and helping clean up the atmosphere.

Get political

As citizens, the power is in our hands to make large-scale changes in environmental policy by voting in favor of candidates who are dedicated to saving the planet. During election time, whether it's for the local, state or national government, examine the climate and environmental platforms of your candidates and then vote at the ballot box for the candidates with clear plans to protect our planet.

Another way to get political is to protest current laws and government officials who go against helping the environment. Organize a march with your school, friends, neighborhood, company, or whole community to show elected officials this is an issue their constituents are passionate about. Sign a petition to directly combat specific laws that might be passed that will threaten endangered species or allow for the further destruction of the environment. By putting pressure on the people in charge, change is more likely to happen.

       Fotolia

Get informed

Knowledge is power, so learn the facts of climate change. By educating yourself with evidence-based data from reputable sources, you will be confident in your ability to share this information to help educate others. By facilitating the spread of knowledge and combating misinformation, this generation and the next will be more prepared to make smarter decisions when it comes to the Earth.

     Bigstock

Make sustainable choices

By changing your lifestyle in minor ways, you will decrease your personal waste levels:

• Consider reused and pre-loved items to take part in the circular economy and keep goods out of our already overflowing landfills
• Enjoy more plant-based meals, reduce your food waste altogether, and compose your food scraps to reduce your “foodprint” and the tremendous impact food waste has on carbon emissions
• Take public transit, bike, or walk when possible – it’s good for your health, your wallet, and the planet
• Unplug electronics when they aren’t in use
• End plastic pollution by investing in a reusable water bottle, a reusable straw, and reusable grocery bags for when you go shopping.

Protect our species

To help fit the theme of Earth Day this year, here are some actions you can take to protect endangered and threatened species:

• Avoid using chemical pesticides on your plants, which are killing the honey bees and other insects.
• Use sunscreens that are oxybenzone-free to prevent coral bleaching.
• Refuse to eat whale meat or buy whale byproducts to discourage legal and illegal hunting by lowering product demand.
• Stop the ivory trade by never taking part in the import, sale, purchase, or possession of ivory.
• Boycott and speak out against the cruel practices of putting elephants in the circus or other entertainment services.
• For those in the U.S., write to your elected official in Congress to support passage of the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2019 to prohibit the sale of shark fins in the United States.
• Avoid buying products that contain palm oil, which is found in the Great Apes natural habitat and has led to a significant drop in orangutan populations.
• Dispose of plastic properly to keep it from getting into the oceans and consumed by sea turtles.

Check out more information on how to protect endangered species here.

      Bigstock