More than 50 years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did not exist, which meant there was no Clean Air Act, no Clean Water Act, and no legal regulatory mechanism to protect our environment. That all changed in April 1970 when Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day as a way to force this issue onto the national agenda. Twenty million Americans demonstrated in different U.S. cities — and it worked. In December 1970, Congress authorized the creation of the EPA, a new federal agency to tackle environmental issues. Now, each year on April 22, people all around the world come together on Earth Day to celebrate the planet’s environment and raise public awareness about pollution.
In honor of #EarthDay, America’s Charities is celebrating the following agents of change who we are proud to call our members:
- The Conservation Fund: The Conservation Fund practices conservation to achieve environmental and economic outcomes. Every Fund program places conservation at its center, and our entrepreneurial staff create and implement innovative, practical ways to benefit the natural world and the well-being of Americans from every walk of life. Since 1985, The Conservation Fund has protected over 8 million acres of America’s most important, at-risk lands and waters. Click here to learn more about the Fund’s impact on the following focus areas: Land, Water, Wildlife, Finance, Food, Community Development, Cities, Partnerships, Climate, and Restoration.
- Feeding America: Many people think of ending hunger when they think of Feeding America – and they would be right. However, Feeding America is also an important ally in the work to end food waste. Each year, 108 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States. That equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food thrown away each year, while 38 million Americans struggle with hunger. Feeding America and its partner network rescues food every day — rescuing 4.7 billion pounds of groceries last year. Learn how you can fight food waste in your own kitchen and learn about one Feeding America’s newest innovations, MealConnect, which makes safe and quick food donations possible by matching food businesses directly to the Feeding America network. Local grocery stores, restaurants, hotels and more can use MealConnect to alert nearby food banks, food pantries or meal programs when they have food ready for immediate pick up, making more good food available and revolutionizing local food rescue.
- Rails-to-Trails Conservancy: The mission of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people. For 30 years, RTC has been the leader in the national rail-trail movement and is the voice of more than 160,000 members and supporters. RTC has helped develop more than 1,600 pathways, transforming more than 30,000 miles of former rail corridors into beautiful paths for walking, biking, riding, and other outdoor activities. RTC partners with thousands of community organizations, trail groups, and local governments to create a nationwide network of trails – one community at a time. They support a healthier environment by making active transportation a viable transportation alternative. They contribute to healthier, more vibrant communities, connecting people of all ages and abilities to the places where they live, work and play. Each year on the fourth Saturday of April, you can Celebrate Trails Day (formerly Opening Day for Trails), an annual spring celebration of America’s trails. Started by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in 2013, the celebration encourages people all across the country to get outside and enjoy the nation’s exceptional trails and trail systems. Learn more.
How to Join Us for Earth Day 2022:
- Engage with us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn and let us know you are celebrating Earth Day. Be sure to include the hashtag #EarthDay in your posts to join the global conversation online.
- Subscribe to our CSR Newsletter as we share how our members’ programs protect our environment and communities around the world.
- Donate & raise money for these nonprofits. America’s Charities is proud of our member charities’ work on behalf of ecosystems, people, and communities all over the planet. One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team.) Click on each charity’s name above to learn more about their work, and to make a donation now!
