April 22, 2010, marks the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day, and science centers are joining the celebration with their own festivals, service projects, and even musical performances.
The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, is kicking off the week with their Earth Day Festival, April 17–18. Among the many activities offered, visitors will be able to check out the Academy’s electrofishing boat used by scientists to collect fish for study, meet local groups committed to protecting the environment, and practice digging a sediment core to read the history of pollution and climate change that’s written in the mud from a salt marsh.
Impression 5 Science Center, Lansing, Michigan, is coordinating a river clean-up day on April 18. After spending a few hours hard at work, participants will be invited back to the science center for demonstrations and workshops about the Grand River watershed.
Two museum celebrations will feature special musical performances as part of their Earth Day celebrations. On April 18, the Springfield Museums, Springfield, Massachusetts, will host The Boys of the Landfill, a bluegrass band that performs environmental songs. The following Saturday, Bash the Trash will perform an interactive show about the importance of recycling and the science of music at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore.
To learn more about Earth Day, visit www.earthday.org.
About the image: Participants in Impression 5’s 2009 river clean-up day learn about the Grand River watershed through a hands-on activity. Photo courtesy Lansing Board of Water & Light