Skip to main content
NEMS Logo NIH Environmental Management System Logo
NIH Environmental Management System

Take Action to Protect the Future

Managed by the Office of Research Facilities, Division of Environmental Protection (DEP)

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

April 2025 Take Action


                                                                                                                                                                                                                       SUBSCRIBE                   PREVIOUS ISSUES

​​​​Take Action                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

What To Do This Earth Day

 

​This year marks the 55th anniversary of Earth Day! Started in 1970 and globalized in 1990, Earth Day has led to several historic environmental achievements in the past. This year, the theme is “Our Power, Our Planet." We encourage you to celebrate Earth Day in your own unique way this year. Below are a few ideas to get you started:

Practice Electronic Stewardship

Take “power" quite literally! Reduce emissions and their resulting air pollution by reducing energy consumption. This can be through a number of ways, such as replacing old devices with more energy-efficient ones, turning off lights when leaving or during the day and responsibly controlling HVAC systems. Check out our spook-tacular October 2023 article for more ideas.

Earth Day Events

“Our Power, Our Planet" can be interpreted a few different ways. One such way is the concept of using one's individual ability and skills, combining them with a community and making a broader-scale impact. Earth Day as an organization offers several different volunteer initiatives and events to choose from that can help further this vision. Explore Earth Day's website to find more information.

Get Active at NIH

There are several ways you can get involved to help the environment on our campuses. If you are at the Bethesda campus, consider volunteering to help with birdhouses, signing up for the community garden, or riding the metro to reduce travel emissions. The community garden is also an option at RML. At BRC, check out their on-site recycling collection. For RTP, keep an eye out during Earth Week for activities. Regardless of which campus you are on, explore and see what interesting green programs or features you can discover!​​​​

 Featured Article                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

       ​20180629_173659.jpg
​​The Bluebird Box Program

I​​​n 2002, the Bluebird Box Program began at the NIH to help with conserving the Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) and other native, cavity-nesting bird species. Now, over 20 years later, these bird populations have grown more than 4 times larger.​

LEA​RN MORE​​​

​​Spotlight                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

​       CENTER DRIVE 2015.JPG

​​​​​​​​​​​​​NIH in Bloom

​As spring begins to blossom all around us, Connor Price, the NIH Landscape Architect, walks us through some of the natural features available on the Bethesda Campus.​
​​

LEARN MORE

NEMS Training                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
Did you know? ​​On Tuesday, April 22, Earth Day will have officially​ been around for 55 years! Celebrate this milestone anniversary by doing something sustainable, however big or small. To learn more about sustainability at the NIH​​​​​​​​​​​​​​, please visit the NEMS Training webpage to view a short (20 minute) NIH environmental awareness training video.


Newsletter Feedback                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
​​​If you found this article useful, please let us know! We appreciate hearing how we might improve our future articles, including topics you would like to read about. Please take a moment to complete this quick feedback form:


​​​​​​​​The NIH Green Zone Newsletter is a publication intended to inform NIH staff about the Division of Environmental Protection and NIH Green Teams projects and initiatives. The text contained in this newsletter is not copyrighted and can be reprinted without permission. If you use portions of this newsletter in your own publication, we ask that you please credit the source. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Thank you.​​
​​
​Division of Environmental Protection | Office of Research Facilities | Office of Management

National Institutes of Health | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services​​​







Contact NEMS

We look forward to hearing from you. Reach out to us in an email.