Virtual Events, E-Books & Websites to Expand Your Eco-Knowledge

By Michelle Lee, Young Adult Librarian

April 22, 2020

This week—today and Friday—marks two notable environmental events: the "golden" 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the protest that brought more awareness of the modern environmental movement, and the 148th anniversary of Arbor Day, the national celebration of trees and tree-planting.

U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, D-Wisconsin, created the idea for Earth Day when he was outraged by the massive 1969 ocean oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Nelson became inspired to start the educational event in September 1969 by the galvanization of environmentalists to help clean up the Santa Barbara contamination and the energy of anti-Vietnam War teach-ins at college campuses throughout the country, according to history pages by the U.S. Senate and the official Earth Day website by Earth Day Network, an environmental non-profit.

The first Earth Day was a bipartisan affair; Nelson partnered with U.S. Senator Pete McCloskey, R-California, to co-chair the event and they hired Harvard University graduate student Denis Hayes to organize massive environmental teach-ins in schools, towns, and cities across the country. An estimated 20 million people—about 10-percent of the United States population—participated in the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Subsequent public and political support lead to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of several important environmental laws, including the U.S. Clean Water Act, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act and the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

First Earth Day Union Square crowds, Environmental Action Coalition records. Manuscripts and Archives Division.

On a local level, Manhattan celebrated the first Earth Day with a massive speak-out on the steps of the New York Public Library's 42nd Street location that blocked traffic on Fifth Avenue for two hours, another event at Union Square Park that featured a large educational exhibit with more than 100 booths and drew more than 100,000 people, and a third gathering took place on 14th St between Third and Seventh Avenues, according to a contemporary news report in The New York Times and the Environmental Action Coalition records from the New York Public Library's Manuscripts and Archives Division. Notable speakers at these inaugural Earth Day gatherings included New York City Mayor John Lindsay, writer Kurt Vonnegut, anthropologist Margaret Mead and musicians Pete Seeger and Leonard Bernstein.

Environmental Action Coalition poster for inaugural Earth Day. Environmental Action Coalition records. Manuscripts and Archives Division.

Arbor Day, on the other hand, was founded by Nebraska newspaper editor and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture J. Sterling Morton in an effort to encourage other state residents to plant trees. The first event took place on April 10, 1872 and lead to the planting of 1 million trees, according to a 2017 Arbor Day story on the History website. The event spread to other states and other countries over the years. President Richard Nixon declared it a national holiday in 1972 to be celebrated on the last Friday in April, although many states celebrate it earlier or later depending on the local "best tree-planting times," according to the non-profit National Arbor Day Foundation website.

In the spirit of Earth Day and Arbor Day, here's a list of virtual Earth Day and Arbor Day events hosted by local and national educational and governmental organizations.

Virtual Earth Day and Arbor Day Events

The New York Public Library's Earth Day at 50: A Changing Climate, Wednesday, April 22 3 PM Join The New York Public Library and CUNY’s Climate Action Lab for lightning talks showcasing the Library’s rich environmental collections and the research they support. Advance registration required.
EarthFest at Home by the American Museum of Natural History, Wednesday, April 22 10 AM - 8 PM Visit the American Museum of Natural History's site for gardening and science experiment sessions, participate in an Earth trivia game or join a YouTube planetary watch party.
Earth Day 50 with NYBG@ Home, by the New York Botanical Garden, Wednesday, April 22, 11 AM - 4 PM. Join the New York Botanical Garden with a rebroadcast of an author talk with Richard Powers on his 2019 Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, The Overstory, and watch webinars on how to participate in online citizen science workshops.
New York City Parks @ Home Earth Week and Arbor Day, Wednesday, April 22 from 11 AM - 7 PM and Friday at noon and 7-8:30 PM. Join the New York City Department of Park and Recreation's week-long celebration with online activities or take a virtual tour of Prospect Park in Brooklyn and Forest Park and Alley Pond in Queens.
Earth Day U.S. National Park Week, by the U.S, National Park Service, anytime. Take a virtual nature tour of our national parks and get involved with citizen science projects.
MOCACREATE@Home: Recycled World, by the Museum of the Chinese in America, anytime. Take this digital challenge and create a new vision for the world using only recycled materials.

Tweens, teens and adults who seek to expand or brush up on their environmental knowledge can learn more about climate change, activism and environmental justice, eco-friendly living and New York City trees with these ten suggested non-fiction e-books and audio books from the New York Public Library's digital collection.

Select Environmental E-Books and Audiobook List

It's Getting Hot in Here: The Past, Present and Future of Climate Change by Bridget Heos

This book provides a strong introductory guide to the scientific mechanics of climate change, its evolution over time and the worldwide impact it is currently having on the globe with rising oceans, melting glaciers, longer droughts, and massive habitat and wildlife losses. Scientific charts, colorful illustrations and photographs are provided to help readers visualize and better understand the complex topic. Each chapter offers simple actions on how to "be the change" and the final chapter goes into further detail on what needs to be done to lessen the environmental and human impact.

Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines by Paul Fleishman

The plethora of misinformation on the Internet, social media and the general public from climate change denying organizations, political lobbyists and literal fake news websites can make it hard for some people to differentiate environmental fact from fiction. Award-winning children's book author Paul Fleischman cuts through all the chatter by presenting a guide for readers on how to carefully review information and figure out the truth from industrial spin. Fleischman explains how some corporations and politicians have mislead the public on the state of the environment on purpose in the pursuit of profits and power. The extensive bibliography and list of suggested resources provide many additional, reputable books, documentaries, articles and websites for further research.

The greater question the book poses to readers is to seriously consider how interconnected we all are and to think critically think about what constant conspicuous consumption is doing to the planet, and what actions we need to take to change the situation. "What you won't find here: a list of Fifty Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth," Fleishman wrote. "Instead, this book is a briefing that will launch you on your own list. Notice. Gather information. Reflect. Refine. Act."

We Rise: The Earth Guardians Guide to Building the Movement that Restores the Planet by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez with Justin Spizman

Colorado teen Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, 19, has spent most of his life petitioning for environmental causes and educating others through the activist group Earth Guardians. Martinez drew international attention in 2015 when he asked the United Nations General Assembly on Climate Change to take more action to protect the planet. Martinez also joined several other youth climate activists as plaintiffs in Juliana vs. United States, the landmark lawsuit that alleged the U.S. government violated the youth's civil rights to have a clean environment and future by failing to reduce carbon emissions and prevent climate change. The lawsuit was dismissed by the U.S. Ninth Court of Appeals last January.

In this memoir, Martinez charts his journey as an activist from attending his first climate change protest at six years-old to writing rap songs, presenting TED Talks and becoming a notable environmentalist. Martinez expressed pride in having Mexica roots and how his family's indigenous background and childhood experiences shaped his environmental activism. Other chapters focus on Martinez's take on different topics, such as deforestation, food systems, fossil fuels and the importance of diversity in the environmental movement. His book also provides a blueprint for other teens to become involved, offering advice on how to become more environmentally conscious and how to organize a community group and political protests.

No One is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg

Swedish teen environmental activist Greta Thunberg, first drew worldwide attention in August 2018 when she started boycotting her school in an effort to raise awareness about climate change. This audiobook is a compilation of various speeches Thunberg, 17, gave throughout the globe at various protests and in front of the United Nations, U.S. Congress, the World Economic Forum and the United Kingdom and European Parliaments. Listen to Time magazine's 2019 Person of the Year urge the public to take climate change seriously and to take action.

Renewable Energy: Build It Yourself by Joshua Sneideman and Erin Tramley, illustrated by Jane Brinesh

When the phrase renewable energy is brought up, many people may think of modern technologies like wind turbines, solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling systems. However, people have been harnessing renewable energy in various forms for thousands of years and this slim book is a practical primer on the history of human energy use that explains pros and cons of different energy sources and discusses the benefits of energy efficiency. The book also includes simple science experiments and activities that allows readers to explore different forms of renewable energy and to emulate and observe the environmental impacts of pollution on a micro-level.

The Story of Seeds: From Mendel's Garden to Your Plate, and How There's More of Less to Eat Around the World by Nancy Castaldo

The biodiversity of our world and our plant foods are under siege due to climate change, big agricultural corporations, monoculture farming, genetic modification and diseases. This book deftly uses the unlikely subject of seeds to examines the various forces at play that are decreasing the variety of the edible plants we grow, harvest and eat.

Castaldo also provides readers an engaging history of notable achievements by horticultural pioneers like Gregor Mendel, Luther Burbank and Nikolai Vavilov, as well as recounts modern-day agricultural preservation and seed protection efforts by contemporary figures, like scientist and environmental activist Vandana Shiva, and notable agriculturalist and the "Doomsday Vault" project founder Cary Fowler. Eco-minded readers will also appreciate the advice Castaldo provides on how to take action and start their own gardens or join in community gardening and seed preservation efforts.

Zero Waste: Simple Life Hacks to Drastically Reduce Your Waste by Shia Su

Garbage is a large environmental problem. Humans keep on "making" more of it every day and there's not enough space in the world to safely landfill or dispose of it all. Enter the zero-waste movement, an effort by many eco-conscious people to cut back on the consumption of products and natural resources. This eco-blogger's book is a beginner's "how-to" guide with many practical tips for anyone interested in reduced their own trash footprint.

Trees of New York City by Benjamin Swett

Learn surprising facts about New York City's urban forest (which include 168 different species and number to an estimated 5.2 million trees) and take a visual tour of all five boroughs with the many lush photographs on display in this book.

Field Guide to the Street Trees of New York City by Leslie Day, illustrated by Trudy Smoke

Explore the Big Apple's arboreal landscape with this pictorial guide to our city's 300 square miles of street trees. This book shares some stories about local neighborhood and city-wide tree protection efforts while other chapters focus on specific tree species.

Field Guide to the Neighborhood Birds of New York City by Leslie Day, illustrated by Trudy Smoke, photographs by Beth Bergman

If you think that New York City's local bird population only consist of pigeons, Canada geese, ducks, sparrows, seagulls, starlings, the occasional hawk and Staten Island wild turkeys, think again. Gotham is geographically situated on a major Atlantic bird migratory flyway and many different birds can be found in our trees, parks, yards, wetlands, shoreline and open waters. About 332 different species alone have been spotted at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, according to the refuge's website. Find out more about our avian neighbors and visitors and local birding organizations with this wildlife guide.

NYPL Subscription Databases for Environmental Education (Log in for free with your NYPL card)

BrainPop's Our Fragile Environment films and educational resources
Scholastic ScienceFlix's Earth Science resources

Websites for Environmental Education and Information

Additional Article Information Sources

Lelyveld, Joseph. “Millions Join Earth Day Observances Across the Nation: Mood is Joyful as City Gives Its Support.” New York Times. April 23, 1970.
"History of Arbor Day." History.com. April 27, 2017.