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Date: 4/12/2021
SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Museums are hosting a week-long celebration of Earth Day through their upcoming Earth Day Festival and Earth Week: Take Action. The festivities will include both virtual and in-person events beginning on April 18 through the 23.
With the events taking place during April vacation, the Museums hope that both kids and adults of all ages will participate. The week will include important presentations, discussions and hands-on activities pertaining to keeping the Earth clean and green.
This year marks the 3st annual Earth Day Festival celebrated at the Springfield Museums. With COVID-19, the day will look different. The Museums have coordinated a virtual celebration with many Earth-centered groups from the region who will share videos, activities and words of inspiration online. The event will be free and open to the public on the Museum’s website.
The Earth Day Festival will focus mainly on Earth systems science and climate change.
“We’re finding that people didn’t have the background knowledge for some of the climate change information, so we’re doing a lot of Earth systems science,” said Jenny Powers, Family Engagement coordinator for the Springfield Museums. “Of course it’s fun and entertaining, but it’s also a lot about what people can do on a local level to help the Earth.”
After the Festival on April 18, the Museums will be open for both virtual and in-person celebrations throughout the week.
According to a press release, “Visitors can follow a trail of environmentally mindful trivia questions as an exciting new way to explore the Science Museum. Ecological conversation starters for kids and their caregivers as well as a daily interactive science demonstration at noon keep families focused on positive change. U.S. Fish and Wildlife educators will also be at the Museums Thursday and Friday to share information with visitors.”
Powers said that the week will be a great opportunity for participants to learn about the Earth and the actions they can take to keep it healthy and beautiful.
“It’s really encouraging kids to do what they can to take action on their own,” she said.
She noted that the events are important to help bring understanding to climate change and the impact it will have if action isn’t taken.
“Along with tons of other adults, I have anxiety around climate change and I feel like we’re not doing enough. We really need to educate people that climate change is not just something we can fix by all of us doing a little bit of recycling in our homes. We need to really teach people what they can do to take action, we need to make sure that people have the fundamental knowledge to understand some of the problems climate change is causing,” she said. “We also want to really help build resiliency in our community because we know climate change is here, climate change is happening, so resiliency is going to be one of the number one things that we can help offer to our community so that while, at the same time that we’re trying to slow climate change, we can also be ready for the effects.”
The events are open to all ages, though Powers said that pre-reading age children will require help from a parent or guardian for the trivia activities. She said that she is excited to be able to offer some in-person presentations given that group science demonstrations have been limited with COVID-19.
“I’m excited about that because I will be able to take some visitor volunteers and let one person per group do something per show,” said Powers. “I think it’s a great way to give them a very nice visitor experience and get them really immersed in learning.”
Admission to the Springfield Museums covers access to all five museums. Those interested in attending the Earth Week: Take Action events are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance given limited capacity and social distancing measures. More information on the festivities and the Museums can be found on their website at Springfieldmuseums.orgSpringfieldmuseums.org.