The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) celebrates Earth Day every year in April.

The first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970.  On that day, 20 million Americans, 10% of the U.S. population at the time, took to the streets, college campuses, and hundreds of cities. They protested environmental issues like oil spills, smog, and rivers so polluted they caught fire, and they demanded change for our planet going forward. 

The ongoing goal of Earth Day is to raise awareness for climate change, protect the world's resources, and improve the environment. Government, non-government organizations, businesses, and individuals around the world act on Earth Day to help restore the world's resources, improve farming practices, rebuild soils, restore native flora and wildlife, and improve water quality, making it one of the largest civic engagement events that take place worldwide.