SOLVE shifts 50th Earth Day celebration to online ‘virtual tour,’ neighborhood action
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Wednesday, April 22nd marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. To celebrate, thousands of Oregonians across the state were planning to attend volunteer events with SOLVE during SOLVE IT for Earth Day, presented by Portland General Electric.
Plans changed when the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak grew and social distancing measures ensued.
“Our No. 1 priority is to keep people safe. But we also realize the environment still needs us, there is still work to do,” says CEO Kris Carico.
In response to the current situation, SOLVE has adjusted its plans and will celebrate Earth Month online during their “Bring SOLVE’s Mission Home” campaign.
Throughout April, individuals are invited to take a “virtual tour” of Oregon, completing environmentally themed activities and projects along the way.
Individuals can access the virtual tour by visiting solveoregon.org. Each project can be completed at home or by going on a walk in your neighborhood.
It is important to note that SOLVE isn’t encouraging anyone to visit parks or congregate in public spaces. Instead, SOLVE is motivating individuals to voluntarily make their daily walks around their neighborhood and time spent in the yard more educational and productive.
Projects include identifying and removing invasive plant species, getting to know your soil and water conservation district, and going for a litter walk while following SOLVE’s safety guidelines. These activities are positive steps for the environment that community members can still engage in. SOLVE recognizes that although we are apart, we are still united in how we care for the environment.
Each week, SOLVE will ask community members to submit photos of a project they worked on by using #solvethistogether on social media. SOLVE will highlight some of the photos on their social media to showcase the work Oregonians are still getting done, even in times of crisis.
