Erin Desautels

Memories of Earth Day: Environmental Education at Special Events Erin Desautels

Earth Day and other ?green? special events are on the rise lately as Canadians continue to embrace opportunities to learn more about their natural environment. However, the impressions participants are actually taking away from these event experiences has remained largely unexplored. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day globally, this book examines short and long term memories of participants who attended Earth Day Celebration events in Surrey, BC, Canada to determine the most memorable aspects of their Earth Day experience. Although little academic literature exists on the subject, the applicability of special events as informal learning environments for the purposes of environmental education is discussed. The study revealed not only that hands-on stewardship activities of releasing salmon and planting trees proved the most popular among event participants but also illuminated the importance of social and familial interactions at these events. This analysis may serve to guide the efforts of community and private event organizers in order to capitalize on the public?s interest in these types of events and meet both the environmental and social needs of the community.