Spending Earth Day indoors feels like a bit of an oxymoron. Being indoors however, doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the beauty of Planet Earth with these virtual tours, events, seminars and activities.

As scientists discover that social distancing may actually be improving the environment, experts are seeing Earth Day 2020 as the perfect opportunity to educate millions on the realities of environmental deterioration in the 21st century.

Absent of the freedom to enjoy time outdoors with loved ones, sustainability and environment centred organizations have gone digital. With a collection of free resources available, any one socially distancing can still learn and commemorate Planet Earth at home by themselves or with quarantine buddies.

Here are 7 free virtual resources to celebrate the planet and educate during Earth Day.

Yearly, Earthday.org facilitates some of the largest events for Earth Day. This year in order to continue that legacy and share resources with everyone socially distancing, Earthday.org has gone digital. Hosting day long experiences that are available in various countries Earthday.org hopes to encourage a worldwide virtual celebration.

A selection of virtual discussions and seminars, film screenings, teach-in and more are all accessible through their website. Interested participants can register by region and desired event to get involved. 

With a wide variety of activities, videos, special programs and other materials to get you in the Earth Day mood, #EarthDayatHome has everything you need to observe Earth Day while practising social distancing. The Earth Day 50TH Anniversary Toolkit compiles everything you need to have a productive and educational day. Run through NASA, the information hub has also curated a variety of resources with NASA at Home and NASA STEM at Home.  Each sub category has Earth centred content specifically created to analyze what sustainability means in 2020. There is even a Lego themed event.

University of South Carolina has opened their usual campus wide Earth Day celebrations to anyone with a computer, smartphone or tablet. Earth lovers can register for virtual interactive forums, panel discussions and a special sustainability-themed meditation session using Zoom and other video casting technology.

Hosted yearly in Philadelphia, Clean Air Council’s Run For Clean Air is usually the cities largest celebration of Earth Day. This year would have been the collective’s 39th annual run. Typically pulling upwards of 2,000 runners and bystanders, the event is a spring staple in the community. Social Media Director, Katie Edwards, said in an interview that pivoting to a digital approach was a natural alternative.

“We decided that instead of canceling and postponing, that we would shift to a virtual run. It already had a virtual component. So with a few easy steps, we were able to convert it all into a virtual run,” said Edwards.  

To join in on the virtual fun, registration is quick and easy through their website.

Black owned and operated radio station WURDRadio is commemorating Earth Day with ecoWURD. In partnership with From the Source, a curation of 10 news organizations that report on the Delaware River Watershed, ecoWURD will be on-air from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The summit includes on-air and online discussions exploring environmental injustices and how they intersect with race, health, the arts, education, and politics. 

Earth Day Canada has compiled a number of distance friendly activities to do at home by yourself or with family members. Their content includes discussions, small projects and insights on habits for change. For example, the organization’s One Night on Earth event includes a panel discussion with director of Earth Day Pierre Lussier, president of Earth Day Thomas Mulcair and Earth Day spokesperson, Edith Cochrane. The event is then followed by an artistic presentation.

Escape from your living room with Explore.org’s live cams. Bringing the outdoors indoors, the live feeds allow you to appreciate almost any animal. From the marine animals at the Monterey Bay Aquarium to rescue animals from various facilities around the world the cams provide an all encompassing wildlife experience.  No matter what your favourite animal or ecosystem is, Explore.org will make you see the planet with a new perspective.