In 2020, Earth Day turns 50! Though we cannot celebrate together in person, we want to join in the celebration virtually.
Did you know that Earth Day, celebrated annually on April 22nd, is the largest secular observance in the world? What began as a day of environmental preservation in the U.S. is now a large-scale push for clean habitat all around the world! Earth Day is proof that one person can make a global impact in a positive way.
As you and your family “stay healthy at home,” find a picture or two that inspires you, that inspires others, and post them on Instagram with the hashtag #EarthDay and#earthday50thbirthday. Stay tuned here throughout Earth Week at see all the ways we celebrate the Earth every day at Bernheim.
Earth Day is 50!
What have we learned over the last 50 years? What can we do to keep learning?
Click here to read more from Dr. Wourms as he explores the impact of Earth Day at 50.
What does Bernheim do to be leaders in ecological stewardship?
Let us tell you all about our daily work. We recommend this playlist of videos all about the conservation work and ways we connect people with nature in everything we do. We believe the more people love the Earth, the more they will do to protect it.
What can you do?
You can create a pollinator habitat in your own back yard! Pollinators are critical to all of Earth’s inhabitants. Click here to let Bernheim’s Natural Areas Manager, Evan Patrick show you how you can create a pollinator garden at home (who doesn’t want to see more butterflies and bees?)
Take the Earth Challenge with other citizen scientists! Click here to download the Earth Challenge 2020 app to gather important scientific data near you. It has two elements for you to measure — air quality and plastic pollution — with more on the way.
CALLING ALL KENTUCKY ARTISTS! Be inspired by Bernheim and submit your design for Bernheim apparel and other merch. Click here for submission details.
Earth is for the Birds!
No one has a better view of the importance of protecting our environment than our avian species. Birds are what we call an indicator species, meaning if birds are present, it’s an indicator of the health of the environment. Bernheim’s 16,137 acres of pristine forest provides excellent bird habitat. In conjunction with researchers from across North America, we are researching bird behavior, migration patterns and more.
Our two biggest initiatives are the golden eagle research and the installation of the Motus system. For the golden eagle research, we have outfitted two golden eagles – a male and a female – with solar power tracking devices so we can follow their migrations between Bernheim in the winter and Manitoba, Canada in the summer. Our data indicates that these two eagles are a breeding pair – the first to be tracked in the eastern United States. The Motus system tracks songbirds as they migrate across the world. Each bird is tagged, so that they “check in” at any nodes they pass by.
Click here to read more about Bernheim’s bird research.
Watch below to see how birds have inspired some of our Artists in Residence.
