Calendar of Environmental Days and Events
Here is a list of environmental days and events that your eco church team can use as a way to engage the church community in environmental and sustainability issues all year round. You could make a mention of these days in your church newsletter or during the service. Or the Sunday School or Youth Group might like to do some activities relating to these days.
Feb 2: World Wetlands Day
Feb 20: World Day of Social Justice
Mar: Walk to School Month
Mar 3: World Wildlife Day
To celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants.
Mar 2-10, 2024: NZAEE Seaweek – Kaupapa Moana
New Zealand’s annual national week celebrating the sea.
Mar 8: International Women's Day
To celebrate women's achievements and promote gender parity.
Mar 21: International Day of Forests
To celebrate the ways in which forests and trees sustain and protect us.
Mar 22: World Water Day
World Water Day is held on 22 March every year. It is one of the United Nations Observance days and was started in 1993. World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2 billion people living without access to safe water. It is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Water and sanitation for all by 2030.
UN-Water sets an annual theme each year for World Water Day. Find out the current theme at: https://www.worldwaterday.org/
Green Anglicans created an excellent liturgical resource for Word Water Day 2022. You can download it here.
Mar 23: World Meteorological Day
To raise awareness about climate change.
Mar: Earth Hour
Promotes efforts to address climate change by asking businesses and residents to turn off their lights for one hour (from 8:30pm - 9:30pm local time). Held in late March annually.
Apr 22: International Mother Earth Day
Apr (last Saturday): Save the Frogs Day
Apr 22: Earth Day
The 22nd of April is Earth Day, a global annual day of action to change human behavior and create global, national and local policy changes to safeguard the integrity of the earth and all of creation.
Karakia for our Climate is inviting Eco-churches and Christians across Aotearoa to participate in Earth Day in ways big and small, and include recognition of Earth Day during Sunday or weekday services, and/or having a specific time of prayer for creation on the 22nd of April.
Here is some resources for Earth Day for churches: https://www.conversations.net.nz/earth-day
This includes links to the global Earth Day movement, Aotearoa based prayer resources, and liturgy from Creation Justice (part of WWC).
The John Stott memorial birding day is a one-day event run by A Rocha to commemorate and celebrate A Rocha’s great friend and supporter. It began in 2021 to commemorate John Stott’s legacy as a theologian, pastor and birdwatcher in his centenary year. Some took part in a bird-themed spiritual retreat, others entered a photography competition and we held a bird race. It has now become an annual event with the 2022 event taking place on May 14/15. Join the Facebook group for updates.
May: Laudato Si’ Week
Laudato Si’ Week is an eight-day campaign held annually in May to mark the anniversary of Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on creation care. Sponsored by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, this global celebration will unite Catholics to listen and respond together to the cry of creation, rejoice in the progress we have made in bringing Laudato Si’ to life, and intensify our efforts through the Laudato Si’ Action Platform as well as other opportunities for education and action. Learn more at LaudatoSiWeek.org..
May (second week) World Fair Trade Day
Held annually during the second week of May. If you haven't yet switched to buying fair trade gifts, find lots of great gifts at Online Fair Trade Shops.
May (second weekend) World Migratory Bird Day
May 20: World Bee Day
To further raise awareness of the importance of bees and to strengthen collaboration to protect them.
May 21: World Fish Migration Day
To create awareness on the importance of open rivers and migratory fish.
May 22: International Day for Biological Diversity
May 23: World Turtle Day
June: NZ Garden Bird Survey
Check for the survey dates each year. It only takes an hour to be part of Aotearoa’s longest running citizen science project.
June 3: World Bicycle Day
June 5: World Environment Day
June 8: World Oceans Day
June 17: World Day to Combat Desertification
To raise awareness of efforts to combat desertification and the effects of drought.
June 22: World Rainforest Day
June 28, 2024 (Annual dates TBC): Matariki
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades that rises in mid-winter, marking the start of the Māori New Year. Iwi across New Zealand understand and celebrate Matariki in different ways and at different times. Matariki is celebrated in June / July each year, near the middle of the planting season for most of the country. The rising of the Matariki constellation marks a traditional time of harvest, thanksgiving, and remembrance. Find out more here: https://www.ecochurch.org.nz/matariki
June 29: International Day of the Tropics
July: Plastic Free July
Plastic Free July is about taking action, and sets participants the goal of refusing all single use plastic for the month. It’s a great challenge to set up for your staff and colleagues in your business. Sign up online.
July 11: World Population Day
1 Sept - 4 Oct: Season of Creation
The Season of Creation is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together. During the Season of Creation, we join our sisters and brothers in the ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home. The season starts 1 September, the Day of Prayer for Creation, and ends 4 October, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations.
Sept: NZ Conservation Week
Conservation Week was started in 1969 by the New Zealand Scout Association and is now run by the Department of Conservation. It is a celebration our unique natural fauna and flora, and a reminder that 4,000 of New Zealand’s native animals and plants are threatened or at risk. A big part of Conservation Week is community involvement through organised events. Businesses are welcome to run their own events, support Conservation Week via social media or donate to DOC’s conservation partners.
Sept (second / third Saturday): International Coastal Cleanup Day
All waterways are important, and you can do a cleanup wherever you are – at the ocean, river, lake, park or even your neighbourhood! Check out A Rocha's Plastics Toolbox which has resources to engage your church and community around plastic waste reduction. Resources include videos, a cleanup guide, devotionals, Bible studies on marine plastics pollution, reflection for a beach clean-up, and prayer for the oceans.
Sept 16: International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
Sept (third weekend): Clean Up the World Campaign / World Clean Up Day
Keep New Zealand Beautiful Clean Up Week: A 'clean-up week' of activities across the country to clean up New Zealand, coordinated by Keep New Zealand Beautiful to coincide with World Clean Up Day.
Sept: Zero Waste Food Challenge
Sept 22: World Car Free Day
Sept 26: International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
Oct (whole month): Biketober
Biketober (= Bike + October) is a month-long festival of cycling held each October. See: Biketober Christchurch and Biketober Auckland.
Oct: NZ Bird of the Year | Te Manu Rongonui o Te Tau
NZ Bird of the Year | Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau helps to raise awareness for our native wildlife, their habitats, and the threats they face. Tragically, many species are in danger of becoming extinct, so they need all the recognition they can get. Check the website for this year’s voting period.
Oct (first Monday): World Habitat Day
Oct 2: World Day for Farmed Animals
Oct 4: World Animal Day
To raise the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards around the globe.
Oct 12: World Migratory Bird Day
Oct 16: World Food Day
Organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Learn about hunger map from the World Food Programme.
Oct (third week): NZ Recycling Week
Recycling Week is all about educating New Zealanders of best practice waste minimization and recycling and encouraging conscious procurement and disposal of items and packaging, to create a waste free future for New Zealand.
Launched in 2013, an ever-increasing number of organisations (schools, corporates and everyone in between) are having fun and learning by taking part in the week.
Each day of Recycling Week features an easy-to-remember theme that will challenge and encourage you to re-think your waste minimisation and recycling behaviours.
Oct (Third Sat of the month): International Repair Day
Nov 1: World Vegan Day
Nov: Buy Nothing Day
Buy Nothing Day is a day of protest in which participants pledge to buy nothing for 24 hours to raise awareness of the negative environmental, social, and political consequences of overconsumption. It is usually held on the same day as Black Friday. Read more here.