By Fariha Ahmed
Central Park
Location:Upper East Side and Upper West Side
Central Park, one of the most prominent landmarks celebrating nature in New York City, needs no introduction. A New Yorker’s Earth Day would not be complete without a visit to this scenic park. Visit the zoo, ride on the carousel, smell the flowers, walk through the spring grass and sunbathe under the sun— after putting on sunscreen, ofcourse.
Check out more at:https://www.centralparknyc.org
New York Botanical Gardens
Location: 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, 10458
The New York Botanical Garden, located in the Bronx, is a 250 acre exhibition of diverse plants. The garden’s Enid A. Haupt Conservatory provides a tour of exotic and seasonal flowers. The Edible Academy allows visitors dig in and learn about gardening through hands-on activities. During the Earth Day weekend, the garden also holds a parade with a huge diorama of the earth.
Check out more at:https://www.nybg.org
Car-Free Streets
Location: From Times Square (42nd Street) up until Union Square(17th Street and Broadway)
The New York Board of Transportation closes off all automobile traffic from certain streets on Earth Day weekend for pedestrians to roam freely, and to reduce car emissions. Car engine emissions are one of the contributing causes of global warming. The car-free block stretches for thirty blocks leading into Broadway.
Check out more at:www.nyc.gov/html/dot/summerstreets/html/carfree.shtml
Ocean Odyssey
Location: 226 W 44th Street, New York, NY 10036
This is a mind-blowing, interactive journey, that allows visitors to explore life underwater without getting wet!
Check out more at:https://natgeoencounter.com
Earth Day is celebrated worldwide on April 22nd to protect Mother Earth. Hopefully we all use this day to visit local parks, gardens, beaches. But most importantly, when we are in these places, we should actively contemplate ways to remedy the man-made causes of dangerous climate changes.