Earth Day Celebration!
Saturday, April 22, 2023
3:00 PM 6:00 PM
Canmore Brewing Company
Drop by with your family to help us celebrate Earth Day with some fun outdoor environmental games and interactive booths!
We invite parents of children younger than 7 to stay and participate in the games! There will be fun for everyone!
Bear Day 2023
Saturday, April 22, 2023
9:00 AM 3:00 PM
Canmore Nordic Centre
Indoor and outdoor activities include bear spray demonstrations, bear safety talks, a bear trapping demonstration, bear awareness hikes (registration required), a kids’ bear storytime and bear-related booths and displays.
Family Time at the Library
Saturday, April 22, 2023
10:00 AM 2:00 PM
Canmore Public Library
Family-orientated Earth Day booths and activities for all to enjoy! Clean up the ocean and create some art, learn about the carbon footprint of your meal or work those muscles to light up the room; it's harder than it looks!
Earth Day - how it began ...
For over 50 years people have been celebrating Earth Day.
Now recognized as the largest secular holiday, Earth Day, was first envisioned as an opportunity to teach college and university students around the United States about environmental issues.
The event was co-founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson and environmental activist, Denis Hayes. Quickly their campaign broadened from targeting only students to all Americans. Hayes and his team worked tirelessly to promote it to organizations nation-wide.
On April 22, 1970, an estimated 20 million people participated in the first Earth Day events across the United States, making it the second largest demonstration in American history.
The awareness resulting from Earth Day’s massive success led to the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act getting passed.
Over the next twenty years, more and more countries participated in Earth Day activities, until, in 1990, Earth Day officially went global.
Now, each year, in honour of Earth Day, people around the world, from 193 countries, participate in activities to promote sustainable practices and raise awareness about the impact of human activity on the environment.
Throughout the decades, the focus of the day has shifted to address several different concerns, including pollution and climate change.
Regardless of what issues are being focused on, Earth Day continues to serve as a reminder of the need to protect our planet and preserve its natural resources for future generations.
Earth Day in Canada
In 1990, Earth Day Canada was established. Although small events had been held in solidarity with the US event throughout the 70s and 80s in Toronto and Vancouver, Earth Day was not recognized nationally by Canada until the holiday went global in 1990.
Over the years since its official recognition, Earth Day has become a major event in Canada.
Each year, an estimated six million Canadians participate in various activities to promote environmental protection and sustainability.
The day is marked by a range of initiatives, such as tree planting, recycling drives, community clean-ups, and educational programs.
Today, Earth Day continues to be a powerful call-to-action for Canadians. This holiday will continue to serve as an important opportunity for individuals, organizations, and communities to come together and take action towards a more sustainable future.
Conservation in the Bow Valley
To those in the Bow Valley, Earth Day’s messages of conservation and sustainability may be particularly pertinent.
As home to a major wildlife corridor, the importance of maintaining healthy and stable ecosystems within and around our communities is especially important. Conscious efforts to pursue coexistence and sustainability are essential to the maintenance of a healthy and biodiverse area where both people and animals can flourish.
Environmental conservation also helps to battle climate change and has economic benefits. Practices such as recycling, implementing green energy solutions, and understanding the plants and animals in our local environment can add up to make huge differences.
To learn more about how to make a difference, join Biosphere on Saturday, April 22nd, for a variety of events in celebration of Earth Day!
Written by Robin Contos, Biosphere Institute - Journalism Practicum Intern, April 2023.
What else is going on?
Earth Talks Speaker Series - Why We Should Talk More About Garbage
Join us for a lively discussion on when garbage isn't garbage! At this Earth Talks presentation, Melissa will show you how to turn 'garbage' into gold!
Join us on April 17 at 7 pm! >> Register now
Also available via Zoom - Watch Live Here.
Join Strides for their 6th annual Plogging event!
Drop by the Strides Canmore store on Earth Day, between 12 and 5 pm to collect your supplies and plog where you want. Join the Biosphere team afterwards and reward all your hard work with a glass of Hazy Pale Ale, #givebacktap, at the Canmore Brewing Company as part of our Earth Day Celebration. All ploggers get a coupon for a $5 pint!
Spring Book Sale
Join the library for the Friends of the Canmore Library Book Sales! Come browse through thousands of hardcover and softcover books for all ages at incredible prices. The sales run from Thursday 13 - to Sunday 16 April, each day with different hours. Sunday is Fill a Bag for $10!
Raise a Glass and Donate some Cash!
We’re excited to partner with Canmore Brewing Co!
We are so grateful that throughout April, they’ll donate a portion of their proceeds from selling their new Hazy Pale Ale, Raise the Haze beer to support our climate, wildlife, and education programs, through their ‘Give-back Tap’! Cheers!