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GO TO GUIDE - ARMY EARTH DAY Page 5 Recommended Earth Day Activities Army Earth Day events should promote environmental awareness and education. The activities below have proven to be successful Earth Day celebrations. Many of these activities require minimal funds. Make your Army Earth Day a full-circle event; if it generates funds, designate them to support an environmental project of interest to the installation and the community. If possible, tie activities to successful programs on your installation. Environmental Awareness Conduct an environmental installation tour to introduce the community to your installation's environmental programs. Show off innovative systems, such as closed-cycle wash racks, nonhazardous paint stripping operations, firing-range bullet traps, small parts washers, drum compactors, oil filter presses, and aerosol can disposal systems. Or, set up an environmental fair with displays and exhibits to teach Soldiers, Families, and community members about good environmental practices. Hold an "eco-thon," an event similar to a walk-a-thon. Have participants collect pledges based on how many Earth Day educational displays they visit, then set up several booths in a field or auditorium. The participants go from booth to booth, learning about ways your post protects the environment. The funds raised can be contributed to an environmental program, such as a riparian forest project. Hold a drive to recycle or repurpose clothing and household textiles. Check with the environmental office to see if there is a nearby facility that accepts these items. Ask people to Invite Soldiers and Families and/or community to help with a grounds cleanup to remove rocks and debris from the installation or a school playground. Award prizes to those who collect the most debris. Conduct an installation cleanup day or clean up trash along a stretch of public land. Sponsor an Earth Day fun run/walk through a “natural” area of your installation. bring clean clothing, sheets, nylon curtains, drapes, hats, paired socks and paired shoes to a central point (a parking lot or post recycling center) for collection and delivery to the facility or facilities. Can also be done for furniture, electronics or other large recyclables to encourage reuse or for special items like eyeglasses and hearing aids.. Offer environmental tours of recycling centers or (if your installation has one) the hazardous material pharmacy. Conduct essay or poster contests at local schools. Hold an Earth Day logo design contest at the local high school or college. Offer an environmental speaker’s bureau and have installation environmental staff visit area schools or community groups to discuss sound environmental practices, how the Army is employing them and what similar things they can do. Note: schedule the visit as soon as possible to get on the school calendar. Make a "humanitree" out of recycled materials and attach leaves cut from discarded paper bags. Write a promise on each leaf related to saving the environment. Set up an environmental maze using stakes and surveyor's tape (very low cost). At each break in the path, ask an environmental question or have a station or poster providing environmental tips that give clues to get to next stop. Host a recycling fashion show with outfits made out of recycled materials. Energy Conservation Have a vehicle reduction day. Ask employees on post to ride bicycles to work, take public transportation or car pool. Display alternative fuel vehicles - hybrids, electric, solar or natural gas powered vehicle (contact your local utility company for assistance). Conduct a solar bake-off. Set up solar box cookers for participants to try different recipes. Give a prize to the creator of the best recipe (such as nachos, hot dogs or baked potatoes). (See Appendix B) Natural Resource Conservation Host a tree-planting ceremony with trees donated from the National Arbor Day Foundation. Choose trees that are indigenous to your area that can provide habitat and food to animals, as well as create a protective canopy.

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