Earth Day

Celebrate Earth Day 2025 with Delaware North in Shenandoah National Park!

Saturday, April 19 | Skyland

Join us this Earth Day at Skyland in Shenandoah National Park as we celebrate the beauty of the Blue Ridge and the importance of protecting it for future generations. From hands-on activities and educational displays to inspiring guest speakers, Earth Day 2025 is shaping up to be a day filled with learning, connection, and fun — all surrounded by Shenandoah’s iconic mountain views.

This year’s event brings together a diverse lineup of environmental leaders, educators, and organizations who are working to protect the natural wonders of our region. Whether you're passionate about pollinators, conservation, tree planting, or clean water — you'll find something to spark your curiosity and inspire action.

Participating Organizations Include:

• Sustainability Matters: Sustainability Matters is a grassroots environmental nonprofit, based in the rural Northern Shenandoah Valley and operating throughout Virginia. Their mission is to build community through conservation. Join them at their table to explore the power of pollinators and the science behind pollinator vision!
• Page Alliance for Community Action: Page Alliance for Community Action is a non-profit community coalition working to keep youth and families healthy and substance free in Page County. They employ multiple strategies to reduce access to risky behaviors and increase access to healthy pro-social activities.
• Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley (Tabling on behalf of Friends of the Shenandoah Rail Trail as well): The Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley is a local non-profit working to protect the Valley’s land, water, and way of life. They focus on conservation, responsible land use, and transportation planning to ensure future generations can enjoy the region’s natural resources and rural character.
• Shenandoah National Park Trust: The Shenandoah National Park Trust (SNPT) is the official nonprofit partner of Shenandoah National Park. Since its founding in 2004, the Trust has raised more than $7 million in support of far-ranging endeavors: natural and cultural resource protection, overlook renovation, land acquisition and conservation, and youth education and engagement.
• Sydney Bernard (Tabling on behalf of Nature Camp as well): Sydney Bernard is an environmental educator, researcher, and Master's student focusing on aquatic ecology. Her most recent projects involve freshwater mussel reintroduction and ecosystem services work in Tennessee, with an upcoming project focused on a dam removal in Alabama.
• Shenandoah Green: Shenandoah Green is a non-partisan, grass-roots organization, working with local and scientific stakeholders to create an environmentally sustainable community through education, action, and advocacy. Shenandoah Green is based in Staunton, and focuses their operations across Augusta County, with some activities also offered in Nelson, and Highland counties. They produce a variety of environmental programming throughout the year, including their own annual Earth Day Staunton celebration in April, and a year-round donation-funded community-wide composting program offered at their local Farmers Market, Recycling Center, and within several key neighborhoods. The most recent Staunton Tree Stewards program is the newest among 10 city-based tree steward programs across Virginia, and offers urban tree planting throughout Staunton in the Spring and Fall, and urban tree maintenance during the Summer.
• Blue Ridge Discovery Center: Blue Ridge Discovery Center is a nonprofit organization located in Southwest Virginia on Whitetop Mountain and is dedicated to the betterment of naturalist education in the region. The center provides opportunities for people to discover the wonders of the natural world in their backyards, parks, forests, rivers, streams, and mountains through guided educational activities and various programs working with local schools.
• JMU Trashed: JMU Trashed is an organization dedicated to keeping our campus and community clean! Their mission is to promote environmental health in the JMU and Harrisonburg communities by engaging in regular waste cleanups and advocating for environmentally sustainable practices.
• Friends of the Shenandoah River: This Earth Day, join Friends of the Shenandoah River, a nonprofit dedicated to providing scientifically sound water quality data and outreach to support the restoration and preservation of the rivers and streams in the Shenandoah/Potomac watershed. Celebrate our natural waterways at Shenandoah National Park by participating in hands-on activities, learning about local water quality issues, and discovering how you can get involved in efforts to protect and improve the health of streams and rivers in your local watershed.
  
  

Keynote Speakers

Go deeper and learn even more with this year’s keynote speakers—experts and advocates ready to inspire with stories and strategies for protecting our planet.

• 2:30 Presentation: Sustainability Matters
• 3:30 Presentation: Page Alliance for Community Action
• 4:30 Presentation: Friends of the Shenandoah River

Whether you're here for the views, the hikes, or the cause, we invite you to spend the day with us. Together, we can make a difference — one step, one tree, one conversation at a time.

Mark your calendar for April 19, 2025, and celebrate Earth Day where the mountains meet the sky.