• ​Little is known about Earth Day coordinators who work relentlessly to organize, manage and conduct the event, year after year. They spend countless hours coordinating logistics and planning activities with the exhibitors from NIH Institutes, Centers and Offices, and external vendors. They conduct outreach and communicate the significance of Earth Day, advertise, create promotional materials and messages using various media tools, and address inquiries. After several months of dedicated effort, Earth Day events a​​re held and visited by over 2000 NIH staff and kids each year. Earth Day celebrations at NIH date back to 1991, when the National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, commemorated the 21st anniversary of Earth Day. It led to the traditional beginning of the annual Earth Day celebration at NIH. Since then, Earth Day events have expanded to other locations: Bethesda, Rocky Mountain Labs, Bayview, Shady Grove and Ft. Detrick. Thank you to many unsung NIH heroes of the past. Here are the 2026 NIH Earth Day Coordinators. If you know of someone coordinating Earth Day activities at your NIH Institute, Center and/or Office, then email us here.

  Bethesda: Mark Radtke

  Bayview, Baltimore: LCDR James Pitt

  Research Triangle Park: Paul Johnson & Kerri Hartung​​
  

  
  
  

​​​​​​​​​​​​Featured Article                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

​	​ 2026 NIH Earth Day ​ Please join NIH in celebrating Earth Day held concurrently with Take-Your- Child-to-Work-Day on April 23, 2026, from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm on the front lawn of Building 1​ ​​​​​​​ ​LEA​RN MORE​​​​

​​Take Action                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

​​​	​​​​ NIH Earth Day Activities   As Earth Day activities continue to evolve, here are a few of the location-specific activities. Visit the NIH Earth Day website, for a detailed list of activities.   ​​​ LEARN MORE​

​​​

Fun Fact                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
​​​​Did you know: Earth Day began on April 22, 1970, founded by US Senator Gaylord Nelson to protest environmental degradation following a massive 1969 California oil spill. The inaugural event mobilized 20 million Americans, leading to the creation of the EPA and landmark legislation like the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts.​​​​​​

​