Smithsonian Celebrates Earth Day With Free Programming Throughout the Month of April

In honor of Earth Day Saturday, April 22, the Smithsonian will host a monthlong celebration dedicated to the planet throughout April. Visitors of all ages can enjoy a variety of free festivals, workshops, tours and hands-on activities at several of the Smithsonian’s Washington, D.C., museums. These engaging offerings will be available both in person and online, inviting everyone to participate in this meaningful event for Earth. More details are on the online schedule.

The Oceans’ Hot Springs: Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents
National Museum of Natural History’s Sant Ocean Hall
Friday, April 4; 1 p.m.–3 p.m.
Hydrothermal vents are habitats that support a diversity of marine life and may even hold the secrets to how life on Earth began. Visitors can come and dive deeper into these remarkable ecosystems.

Growing Community: Planning the Growing Season
Anacostia Community Museum
Saturday, April 5; 10 a.m.–noon
In this workshop, Smithsonian gardeners will discuss the early-spring harvest, herb planting and planting plans for the growing season.

WILD Nature Play Club
Anacostia Community Museum
Saturday, April 5; 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Presented as a pilot program by the National Zoological Park’s Little Critters: Nature Play, the museum’s WILD Nature Play Club invites families to visit on the first Saturday of every month to explore the half-mile loop trail next to the museum with a guide, then gather for a story and nature activity.

NOAA Fleet Week: Get to NOAA Us 
National Museum of Natural History’s Sant Ocean Hall
Thursday, April 10; 11 a.m.–3 p.m. 
As many National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration researchers prepare to enter field season, museum visitors can learn more about their work and the ships, planes, uncrewed systems and people behind the agency’s science, service and stewardship mission.

Firelighters: Fire Is Medicine (online);
National Museum of the American Indian
From Monday, April 14, 5 p.m. ET through Wednesday, April 30, 5 p.m. ET
Indigenous communities deeply understand the use of fire as an effective tool for land management, but they have faced persecution and penalty using traditional practices of fire control. The film Firelighters follows the transformative work of women leaders from the Yurok and Karuk Tribes who are building educational resources to share Indigenous practices and create policies to take back Indigenous burning rights. The film will stream on demand from 5 p.m. April 14 through 5 p.m. April 30.

Creating a Homegrown National Park in Your Home or Community (online)
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Tuesday, April 15; 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m. ET 
Master Naturalist and Watershed Steward Alison Milligan will explain how the grassroots movement to create Homegrown National Parks is bringing the life-preserving powers of national parks to communities across the country. (Registration is required to watch live or on demand.)

Earth Day Celebration: A Day Unplugged
Anacostia Community Museum
Saturday, April 19; 10 a.m.–2 p.m. 
Visitors can step away from their screens and reconnect with nature by joining the museum for a fun-filled, educational day celebrating the beauty of planet Earth with hands-on activities for all ages.

Open Studio: Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Saturday, April 19; 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
The museum is holding an Open Studio inspired by artist Joseph Cornell’s use of found objects to craft imaginary worlds. In honor of Earth Day, the museum will consider the importance of repurposing everyday items by giving new life and meaning to discarded materials. Kids and families can drop in and let their creativity run wild through hands-on activities.

Living Earth Festival: Protecting the Elements
National Museum of the American Indian
Saturday and Sunday, April 26–27; 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Indigenous communities around the world take seriously the responsibility to protect Earth’s natural resources and expansive ecosystems. This festival features Indigenous peoples leading the effort to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and tradition to address critical environmental efforts.

Growing Community: Walking Tour
Anacostia Community Museum
Saturday, April 26; 10 a.m.–noon
The Anacostia Community Museum and its partners at Smithsonian Gardens are offering a walking tour of three Smithsonian gardens on the National Mall to explore how various museums approach their green spaces.

Curator Tour: “Earth, Fields, Land: Honoring Earth Day Through Our Permanent Collection”
National Portrait Gallery’s G Street Lobby
Sunday, April 27; 3 p.m.–4 p.m. 
Taína Caragol, the museum’s curator of painting, sculpture and Latino art and history will guide a lively tour of works from the museum’s permanent collection related to Earth Day’s homage to nature. Registration is required.

About Life on a Sustainable Planet

Life on a Sustainable Planet is the Smithsonian’s initiative to collect new data about our changing planet, implement holistic approaches to environmental conservation and educate the world about why and how sustainable solutions to climate change can benefit people and nature. Life on a Sustainable Planet uses the Institution’s vast scientific resources across its global network of research centers to produce, curate and communicate strategies for adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change. 

The Institution will also pioneer new technologies to collect environmental data, develop new platforms to analyze and share data and work with partners and communities to inform conservation action. Life on a Sustainable Planet is part of the Smithsonian’s commitment to working with communities to promote equitable, sustainable and resilient ecosystem solutions to build a more sustainable future for all.

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