3 Ideas to Honor Our Planet Home on Earth Day

March 19, 2013 | By Liz Crampton

Use this Earth Day, April 22nd, as an opportunity to spread awareness around environmental sustainability, and to inspire others to stand for the healthy and thriving planet for all.

Gather your friends, family and members of your community to take part in an earth-honoring event in or around April 22nd. Here are three fun and accesible ideas you can do!

Host an Awakening the Dreamer Symposium on DVD

The Awakening the Dreamer Symposium is now on DVD. Play it like a feature film, anywhere in the world, without a trained Facilitator at the front of the room to deliver the Symposium. The DVD is a filmed live symposium run by two expert Facilitators, with Lynne Twist as the host, offering guidance for the interactive exercises at different intervals through-out.
Buy or stream the Symposium DVD by Gaiam here »

Show an Earth-honoring Film for Friends and Family

These are our top picks. Watch the trailers and show the one that excites you the most, or select any other earth-honoring film you are passionate about.

Baraka

In the ancient Sufi language, Baraka translates to ‘the thread that weaves life together’. Shot in 24 countries on 70mm film, this mesmerizing visual study conveys the relationship between humans and the environment.
Watch the trailer »
How do I watch this? »

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Hushpuppy, an intrepid six-year-old girl, lives with her father, Wink, in the Bathtub, a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. Wink's tough love prepares her for the unraveling of the universe; for a time when nature flies out of whack, temperatures rise, and the ice caps melt, unleashing an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs.
Watch the trailer »
How do I watch this? »

The Island President

President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, is a man confronting the literal survival of his country and everyone in it. After bringing democracy to the Maldives after thirty years of despotic rule, Nasheed faces the even greater challenge of global warming: as one of the most low-lying countries in the world, a rise of 3 feet in sea level would submerge the 1200 islands.
Watch the trailer »
How do I watch this? »

Crude

The epic story of one of the largest and most controversial environmental lawsuits on the planet; the infamous “Amazon Chernobyl” case. A real-life high stakes legal drama, set against a backdrop of the environmental movement, global politics, multinational corporate power, and rapidly-disappearing indigenous cultures.
Watch the trailer »
How do I watch this? »

Planet Earth

Stunning footage of the natural world and explore the marvels of our planet.Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC, and also the first to be filmed in high definition.
Watch the trailer »
How do I watch this? »

Deliver a 2-hour, live Awakening the Dreamer Symposium

If you are a Pachamama Alliance Facilitator, why not use this occasion to deliver a 2-hour Symposium? Afterwards, you can choose to show a short film to highlight the interconnectedness of the issues discussed in the Symposium, or host a potluck with delicious local foods!

Post your Symposium on the Workshops & Communities Map »

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Top 10 Tips for Hosting an Earth Day Event

  1. Invite friends and family by email, on Facebook or by text to get the message out as soon as possible.
  2. When you send your invites, get everyone excited by including a short synopsis of the film you'll be showing or the purpose of the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium! You can copy and paste some of the text above by the films.
  3. Consider having a potluck for more time connecting with your community. A theme like whole, local foods from the Earth might be fun for this event. Popcorn is always great for movie watching, too
  4. If you're showing the Awakening the Dreamer DVD, make sure you order it in advance unless you're streaming it.
  5. Tell everyone it's Earth Day and explain why it's such an important time to be raising awareness around sustainability, and remembering the inherent beauty of our planet earth.
  6. Set your living room up for the screening in advance- lay out chairs or pillows and make sure your TV or DVD player is working and everyone can see.
  7. Download the film you're screening with plenty of time- sometimes it can up to an hour to download.
  8. Remind people on the day of the event.
  9. Allow some time for discussion after the film or Symposium. Consider preparing a few general questions like, How did the film impact your feelings about your relationship with the Earth? What actions does the film inspire you to take? Did the film change your perspective on something in particular?
  10. Don't forget to tell us how your event went! We'd love to know what worked, what didn't and any good tips you have. We will send an email reminder to you after you register to hold an event.