Earth Day events ramping

Earth Day events are spreading before April 22, with campuses, transit agencies, and volunteer groups already rolling out cleanup drives and public programs. (earthday.org) At Stony Brook University on Long Island, Earthstock’s Water Fest is scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Academic Mall Fountain. The university says the event is part of a campuswide celebration focused on water as an ecological, cultural, artistic, and social force. (news.stonybrook.edu) In Santa Cruz County, the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District said it will waive fares on all fixed-route buses, ParaCruz, and Highway 17 Express service on April 22. The agency also said it will host community events tied to Earth Day and sustainable transportation. (scmetro.org) Volunteer cleanups have already started in other regions. WGRZ reported neighborhood projects in Buffalo and North Tonawanda on April 19, and the Times-Herald said Solano County’s annual Earth Day cleanup drew residents out on April 18 for its 12th year. (wgrz.com, timesheraldonline.com) Earth Day falls every year on April 22. The first one was held in 1970, and the Environmental Protection Agency says more than 20 million Americans took part in that inaugural mobilization. (epa.gov) EARTHDAY.ORG says the 2026 theme is “Our Power, Our Planet,” and is promoting actions before, on, and after April 22. The group says Earth Day is now observed globally, with events ranging from rallies and teach-ins to cleanups and local festivals. (earthday.org, earthday.org) This year’s early programming shows how Earth Day now works in practice: one city uses free bus rides to push transit, one university turns it into a campus festival, and local groups center litter pickup and neighborhood cleanup. Those events are clustered around Tuesday, April 22, but many communities started the work during the weekend of April 18 and 19. (scmetro.org, news.stonybrook.edu, cleanupsolano.org) With three days left until Earth Day 2026, the pattern is already visible: fewer single-day ceremonies, more local schedules built around transit, campuses, and volunteer labor. April 22 remains the focal date, but the calendar around it is filling up first. (earthday.org, scmetro.org, news.stonybrook.edu)