Saint Louis Earth Day Festival

Mission

St. Louis Earth Day nurtures environmental responsibility by bringing people together for celebration, education, and stewardship through Earth Day.

History

In 1969, Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, proposed the first nationwide Earth Day to help put environmental issues onto the national agenda."It was a gamble," he recalls, "but it worked."

A year later, on April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated both in Washington, D.C., and on college campuses throughout the country. An estimated 20 million Americans participated in events calling for a healthy, sustainable environment.

Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city dwellers and farmers, businesses and labor leaders. The first Earth Day helped the push nationally to create the United States Environmental Protection Agency and to pass the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. Senator Nelson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to civilians in the United States for his role as Earth Day founder.

Since 1989, St. Louis has held its own annual Earth Day festival. This widely celebrated community event has grown in leaps and bounds since its conception over 18 years ago. In addition to the Festival, now held on Muni Theater grounds in Forest Park, stewardship projects, a Walk/Run for the Rivers, and activities at cultural institutions have all become part of the annual Earth Day in Forest Park celebration. A yearly Earth Day Symposium, attended by government representatives, professionals, and interested citizens, brings fresh ideas to the area on the latest concepts in sustainable restoration and development. Earth Day K-12 Teachers' Guides and Around Town events bring observance of the Earth Day holiday to communities and schools across the region.