Environmental Holidays, Awareness Days and Anniversaries
Every day, as the old saying goes, is Earth Day. But what about World Gorilla Day, Manatee Awareness Day and Wombat Day?
We’ve compiled a full calendar of environmental holidays and awareness days, along with several key eco-anniversaries (both good and bad). They offer multiple opportunities throughout the year to promote awareness of endangered species and Earth-friendly activities, as well as a reminder of what we could lose in the days ahead.
January
Jan. 5 National Bird Day
Jan. 20 Penguin Awareness Day
Jan. 31 International Zebra Day
February
Feb. (3rd Saturday) World Pangolin Day
Feb. 2 World Wetlands Day
Feb. 14 World Bonobo Day
Feb. 15 World Hippopotamus Day
Feb. 16 Anniversary of Kyoto Protocol (2005)
Feb. 27 International Polar Bear Day
March
March (last Wednesday) Manatee Appreciation Day
March (last Saturday) Earth Hour
March 3 World Wildlife Day
March 11 Key Deer Awareness Day
March 11 Anniversary of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster (2011)
March 14 International Day of Action for Rivers
March 15 Buzzards Day
March 16 National Panda Day
March 18 Global Recycling Day
March 19 Taxonomist Appreciation Day
March 20 World Sparrow Day
March 20 World Frog Day
March 20 World Rewilding Day
March 21 International Day of Forests
March 22 World Water Day
March 22 International Seal Day
March 23 World Bear Day
March 24 Anniversary of Exxon Valdez oil spill (1989)
March 28 Anniversary of Three Mile Island (1979)
April
April (last Friday) Arbor Day
April (last Saturday) Save the Frogs Day
April 3 World Aquatic Animal Day
April 7 International Beaver Day
April 10 Gopher Tortoise Day
April 17 Bat Appreciation Day
April 20 Anniversary of Deepwater Horizon disaster (2010)
April 21 World Curlew Day
April 22 Earth Day
April 25 World Penguin Day
April 26 Anniversary of Chernobyl nuclear disaster (1986)
April 27 World Tapir Day
April 29 Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare
May
May (2nd Saturday) World Migratory Bird Day
May (3rd Friday) Endangered Species Day
May 2 World Tuna Day
May 3 International Leopard Day
May 3 Wild Koala Day
May 8 World Donkey Day
May 20 World Bee Day
May 22 World Biodiversity Day
May 23 World Turtle Day
May 27 World Otter Day
May 31 World Parrot Day
June
June 1 World Reef Day
June 5 World Environment Day
June 8 World Ocean Day
June 11 World Jaguar Day
June 11 International Lynx Day
June 12 National Cougar Day
June 15 Global Wind Day
June 16 World Sea Turtle Day
June 17 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
June 17 World Croc Day
June 19 World Albatross Day
June 20 International Horseshoe Crab Day
June 21 World Giraffe Day
June 22 World Rainforest Day
June 22 World Camel Day
June 22 Anniversary of Cuyahoga River bursting into flames (1969)
June 27 World Microbiome Day
July
July 11 World Population Day
July 14 Shark Awareness Day
July 14 World Chimpanzee Day
July 14 World Orca Day
July 16 World Snake Day
July 28 World Nature Conservation Day
July 29 International Tiger Day
July 31 World Ranger Day
August
Aug. 4 International Clouded Leopard Day
Aug. 4 International Owl Awareness Day
Aug. 6 Cycle to Work Day
Aug. 9 International Day of Indigenous Peoples
Aug. 10 World Lion Day
Aug. 11 World Krill Day
Aug. 12 World Elephant Day
Aug. 12 World Hirola Day
Aug. 13 International Wolf Day
Aug. 14 Panamanian Golden Frog Day
Aug. 15 National Honey Bee Day
Aug. 15 Cotton-top Tamarin Day
Aug. 19 International Orangutan Day
Aug. 26 World Painted Dog Day
Aug. 30 International Whale Shark Day
Aug. 30 National Beach Day
September
Sept. (1st Saturday) International Vulture Awareness Day
Sept. (1st Saturday) National Hummingbird Day
Sept. (3rd Saturday) World Cleanup Day
Sept. (3rd Saturday) International Red Panda Day
Sept. (4th Saturday) National Public Lands Day
Sept. (last Sunday) World Rivers Day
Sept. 1 Anniversary of passenger pigeon extinction (1914)
Sept. 5 Amazon Rainforest Day
Sept. 6 World Shorebirds Day
Sept. 7 Thylacine Day (National Threatened Species Day, Australia)
Sept. 16 World Ozone Day
Sept. 16 Anniversary of Montreal Protocol (1987)
Sept. 17 International Microorganism Day
Sept. 19 World Cleanup Day
Sept. 21 Zero Emissions Day
Sept. 22 World Rhino Day
Sept. 22 International Tamarin Day
Sept. 22 World Carfree Day
Sept. 24 World Gorilla Day
Sept. 26 World Cassowary Day
Sept. 26 World Environmental Health Day
Sept. 26 World Rivers Day
Sept. 26 Anniversary of Rabbs’ fringe-limbed tree frog extinction (2016)
Sept. 27 Anniversary of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962)
October
Oct. (1st Monday) World Habitat Day
Oct. (1st Wednesday) Energy Efficiency Day
Oct. (2nd Saturday) World Migratory Bird Day
Oct. (last Friday) World Lemur Day
Oct. 2 UK Fungus Day
Oct. 4 World Animal Day
Oct. 12 World Sloth Bear Day
Oct. 14 International E-Waste Day
Oct. 14 Children’s Environmental Health Day
Oct. 16 World Food Day
Oct. 17 International Sawfish Day
Oct. 18 World Okapi Day
Oct. 20 International Sloth Day
Oct. 21 National Reptile Awareness Day
Oct. 22 Wombat Day
Oct. 23 International Snow Leopard Day
Oct. 24 Freshwater Dolphin Day
Oct. 24 International Gibbon Day
Oct. 24 International Day of Climate Action
November
Nov. (1st Saturday) National Bison Day
Nov. 21 World Fisheries Day
Nov. 24 Anniversary of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin (1859)
Nov. 29 International Jaguar Day
Nov. 30 Remembrance Day for Lost Species
December
Dec. 1 Antarctica Day
Dec. 2 Anniversary of Bhopal disaster (1984)
Dec. 2 Anniversary of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1970)
Dec. 4 International Cheetah Day
Dec. 5 World Soil Day
Dec. 11 International Mountain Day
Dec. 12 Anniversary of Paris Climate Agreement (2015)
Dec. 14 Monkey Day
Dec. 28 Anniversary of Endangered Species Act (1973)
