Green Bellevue and Earth Day Omaha Coalition announce the partnership of Sarpy County Earth Day with Earth Day Omaha to present the new “Nebraska Earth Day Passport”—an online app to deliver Earth Day events and activities and connect attendees with exhibitors. The annual Earth Day program is designed to create awareness of the need to nurture and protect our environment, provide “how to” education and inspire action.
The time frame and formats of the Sarpy County Earth Day and Earth Day Omaha programs have been redesigned from a one-day event to a month-long series of activities and in-app “Passport Challenges” that will take place from April 15–May 15. Activities will include individual, on-demand, on-site, and zoom style formats, and all efforts will educate the public about the importance of caring for our environment.
“Earth Day Omaha is one of the country’s longest running consecutive Earth Day celebrations,” said Angie Remington, board chair for Earth Day Omaha. “We’re excited to partner with Sarpy County Earth Day this year to deliver a safe and interactive passport-driven experience that features local nonprofits, businesses, and other organizations that care deeply about protecting and preserving our environment.”
In addition to the month-long mobile passport program, a pared-down "Mini Earth Day Omaha" celebration will take place in Elmwood Park on Saturday, April 17 that will include socially-distanced activities and community recycling and compost collections as well as the annual Friend of the Environment Award Presentation.
“Our 2021 Sarpy County Earth Day theme is Preserve our Natural Habitat and Promote Food Security, and we are encouraging everyone to cultivate spaces that support native pollinators this spring,” said Green Bellevue President, Michelle Foss. “This also supports pollinator-dependent crop production.”
Sarpy County Earth Day will feature passport content to promote natural habitat offered by Zoo Academy students and the Green Bellevue BEE CITY USA committee; plus an “invasive species'' tour, Arbor Day tree plantings, garden and park clean ups. Electronics collections and an EPS styrofoam collection/challenge, a live-stream Youth panel on How to start a Green Initiative, as well as Mayoral and Sarpy County Earth Day proclamations are also planned.
Introducing the Nebraska Earth Day Passport
The Nebraska Earth Day passport is a community connection and engagement platform to display all of the local and regional activities, events, vendors, exhibitors and sponsors that will make up Sarpy County Earth Day and Earth Day Omaha.
Through the Green Bellevue and Earth Day Omaha websites, starting April 5th, attendees will go on-line to register for free on the Nebraska Earth Day Passport platform. The passport will launch on April 15th listing all of the activities and challenges taking place over the period from April 15–May 15 and attendees can compete for prizes based upon a point system that encourages participating in multiple activities. Participants who register between April 5–14 will receive 100 bonus points.
The collaborative Nebraska Earth Day Passport will feature businesses, organizations, schools, and nonprofits that typically exhibit at one or both of the annual Sarpy and Omaha events. All organizations that offer solutions, education, programs, activities, products and services that enhance and support a cleaner, healthier environment are encouraged to join in. Vendors, exhibitors, and educators who register and provide their marketing materials and program details by March 26th will be featured in the program launch on April 15. New registrations will be accepted after those dates. A virtual booth for exhibitors will be professionally displayed on the passport for easy access by attendees.
In addition to the exhibitors who can sign up for a fee, sponsor booths and activities will be featured on the app as well. Current sponsors of Sarpy County Earth Day include Sarpy County, Papillion Sanitation, Papio Natural Resources District, Beardmore Suburu, and T.E.A.M. Current Earth Day Omaha sponsors include Papio Natural Resources District, The Reader, Hillside Solutions, Cross Training Center, Fraser Stryker, Dundee Bank, MOTAC, and the Sierra Club. Both groups are seeking additional sponsors.
All activities are open to the public, and a calendar of events will be available on the respective websites for GreenBellevue.org and EarthDayOmaha.org. The group asks that all promotions and online activity about this event use the following hashtags: #NebEarthDayPassport #SarpyCountyEarthDay #EarthDayOmaha
About Earth Day Omaha Coalition
The Earth Day Omaha Coalition (EDOC) is a local 501(c)3 non profit organization and Earth Day Omaha is Nebraska’s oldest and largest environmental event, serving as a gathering of green friendly businesses, organizations, and engaged citizens. EDOC is celebrating it’s 32nd annual event in 2021.
About Sarpy County Earth Day Celebration
The celebration of Earth Day began in the United States in 1970 on April 22nd. In 2010, former Bellevue Mayor Gary Mixan proclaimed April 22nd as Green Bellevue Day and encouraged all to participate, celebrate and support the city-led, ongoing green effort. Green Bellevue became a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in 2010 and by 2014, Green Bellevue Day expanded to the Sarpy County Earth Day.
For more information, contact:
Ruth Richter, Green Bellevue/Sarpy County Earth Day
ruthr@greenbellevue.org, 402-880-7580 and visit greenbellevue.org
Brittany Dabestani, Earth Day Omaha
brittany@earthdayomaha.org, 402-980-2818 and visit earthdayomaha.org