The year 2020 will, for most of us, go down as one of the strangest in our lifetimes. And for some, it will also be one of the most tragic. We will move forward from this point in time referring to the "pre-pandemic" and "post-pandemic" parts of our life.  Going forward, it will be easy to overlook the fact that 2020 also marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.  And yet the COVID pandemic and earth day are more linked than we might first imagine.

Join the team at Nature Up North this month, as we devote our attention to celebrating Earth Day between now (April 22, 2020, Earth Day) and May 22nd. We have much in store for you, all possible while still observing social distancing.

Here's a sampling of what you have to look forward to:

1. Our annual Earth Day 7K has gone virtual!  You can race (walk/run) anytime between today and May 22nd.  This year, rather than keep the race proceeds to fund Nature Up North activities, we are donating all net proceeds from race registrations to the United Way of Northern New York's Coronavirus Crisis Fund. This fund will directly help our North Country neighbors endure in these difficult times.
2. A series of essays about Earth Day and the North Country environment. Here's where we'll explicitly address the link between earth day and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other topics.  Were you here in the North Country for the first earth day?  We'd love to talk to you about it.  Shoot us a message and we'll be in touch.
3. "Love your mother" Bingo!  We've created a virtual bingo game that you can participate in over the next month by completing a variety of outdoor, hands-on and on-line activities all while social distancing. Stay tuned for more!
4. Citizen Science. As you may know, Nature Up North hosts several citizen science projects to help us gain more knowledge about our North Country environment. Earth Month is also the time to monitor maples!
5. Find the fairy houses!  We expect that the group of fairies that migrate through the North Country will be setting up homes this month.  Find their homes and leave them questions about nature!
6. Fifty ways to love your mother (mother earth, that is).  In honor of the 50th anniversary of earth day, we'll be promoting "50 ways to love your mother" on social media - how many can you carry out this month?
7. "Love your mother" photo contest.  Share your photos with us as encounters and win prizes!

So join us this month (and every month) as we explore the North Country environment together.  Happy Earth Day!