On April 22, 1970, 20 million people took to the streets and college campuses across the country to protest environmental ignorance and demand greater protections for our planet. This first Earth Day sparked the passage of major environmental legislation in the U.S. including the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts, and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
“The 50th anniversary of Earth Day in 2020 will mark a pivotal year for our planet as the Earth needs our attention now more than ever,” says Stephen C. White, President of Mystic Seaport Museum. “We recognize our obligation specifically to the Mystic River and its watershed and in the spirit of the Earth Day Network’s mission to activate the environmental movement worldwide; we look forward to engaging a host of like-minded community partners as well as the general public in support of habitat restoration, conservation and overall collective action.”
October 22 marks six months to Earth Day, and on this day, Mystic Seaport Museum announces its support for Earth Day 2020 and the EARTHRISE movement, which will mobilize across the globe on April 22 to turn out millions across generations, sectors, and continents to demand immediate action on climate change.
April 22, 2020, is as a key moment for citizens, institutions, and organizations everywhere to demonstrate our shared demand for bold, transformative change. Mystic Seaport Museum is proud to join this global movement as we build toward the next half century of action for our planet.
“As someone who participated in the first Earth Day in 1970, the 50th anniversary is an important milestone for all of us to recommit and expand support for our environment in the greater Mystic area and beyond,” says White.
In partnership with Mystic Aquarium and other community organizations, the Museum looks to hold events to share information about the history of the local watershed including human impacts and offer educational opportunities and activities to shed light on ways we all can become better stewards of the planet. It is critically important to protect Long Island Sound and maintain its water quality as a living resource to more than 1,200 species of invertebrates, 170 species of fish and dozens of species of migratory birds.
