The year is 1970, and the winds are swirling—blowing up a storm and sweeping away everything once familiar and firmly rooted. From gender norms to fashion, it’s all being left in the dust of the 1950s. The counterculture of the 1970s and the movements that have risen from the period have defined movements in everything: civil rights, women’s rights, unnecessary invasion and warfare, and perspectives on fashion, music, drugs, and life itself. Among this cascade of radical perspectives came the revised outlook on nature, the environment, and our relationship to both.
On April 22, 1970, the United States witnessed the first observation of Earth Day, a celebration that would soon amass support from millions around the world. The first Earth Day was celebrated by an estimated 20 million Americans on over 2,000 college campuses and in hundreds of communities. While the event has evolved into festivals and events all over the globe, the original Earth Day began as a grassroots organization sponsored by the former senator of Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson.
As a local of Clear Lake, WI, Nelson says respect for the environment came to him through “osmosis,” and, as governor, he had a prolific agenda centered around environmentalist and conservation efforts. Nelson has been integral to the preservation of the Appalachian Trail, the banning of use of DDT, and the protection of water and air quality. In the early months of 1969, Nelson sought after “unity of purpose” and was worried by the increasing number of environmental catastrophes. Inspired by the anti-war movement in response to the Vietnam War, Nelson applied this strategy to the environment.
Adhering to the grassroots aspect of the event, Nelson equipped an office of college student activists, with Denis Hayes serving as national coordinator. The date chosen was April 22 due to the spring weather and the probability that more students would be on campus and able to participate. The sit-in and national demonstration we’ve come to know as Earth Day was an astonishing success, still being celebrated 55 years later.
Celebrating Earth Day is not only recognizing the intricate and complex systems of the natural world, but it is also emphasizing the need to safeguard the environment.
The city of Orlando has a variety of Earth Day festivals and events for community members to attend.
Sat., April 19, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Lake Eola Park
Central Florida’s biggest Earth Day festival.
Sat., April 19, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thornton Park District between 707-900 Washington St.
Check out plants for sale, along with food and shopping vendors.
Earth Day Work Day 2025 – Exhibitor Registration
Fri., April 25
Join City of Orlando’s Green Works team for Earth Day Work Day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the City Hall Plaza.
400 South Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32801
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