Our blue marble: Our home planet
Published 1:30 am Monday, April 20, 2026
Submitted by event organizers.
Earth Day Orcas style is a vibrant nature, arts and science celebration with something for everyone, and for all ages. In celebrating the wonders of the Salish Sea and our island home, we voice our vision and hope for a safe and beautiful world for all generations to come.
This week, the Earth Day Film Fest is streaming online, and the celebration continues with a Science Uncorked talk with Giles, a lead marine biologist with the SeaDoc Society, on April 22 at The Barnacle. (For younger folk and the curious of all ages, Friends of the San Juans is setting up its story dome at 6 p.m. at the library the same evening.)
On Saturday, April 25, the Earth Day Festival starts with an Eco Fair featuring 12 fun activities, music and community resource tables, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 218 Main St. in Eastsound.
The Peace Walk Parade starts at 11 a.m. and loops through Eastsound. Meet up at Emmanuel Labyrinth at 10:45 a.m. This year, the procession is a call for peace and compassion for all life on earth. Costumes, face paint, peace signs, sing-alongs, peace and eco theme props, and help carrying the Earth Ball welcome!
The Eco Fair brings everyone back to Emmanuel from noon to 1:30 p.m. with dance, music, sing-alongs, art and science hands-on, and news at community resource tables. Learn what’s going on with the Land Bank, Master Gardeners, OPAL Community Land Trust, Island Rides and the great new Green Car Share, Friends of the San Juans, Protectors of the Salish Sea, Friday Harbor Film Fest and The Orcas Garden Club. Hands-on art and solar projects for adults and kids are offered by Eye of the Whale Arts, Salmonberry School and other friends of Earth Day.
The Peace Garden at Emmanuel is open through the end of the month with sculptures by Pete Welty, Earic Morris, Daniel Marks, Dwight Duke and Keil Sloper at Emmanuel, and on the 25th, special memorials and peace features encourage bringing flowers, prayers, art and thoughtful reflection to honor the tragic loss of life in our own country, and abroad. A large Earth Ball by Eric Morris graces the Parish Hall all month.
Touching our hearts, The Sacred Covenant is the concluding Earth Day event and features three Indigenous musicians and spoken word artists. Paul Chiyokten Wagner (Saanich), Chenoa Egawa (Lummi and S’Klallam) and Washington Poet Laureate Rena Priest (Lummi) will weave together powerful native flute, drum, chant, song and stories that remind us of the human responsibility to care for our Earth. The concert is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts as part of the Orcas Island Cultural Bridge project. Reserve a seat online for the 2 p.m. concert.
Event details and registration for the Earth Day Orcas Film Fest and the Sacred Covenant Concert are online at https://earthdayorcas.org.
Our blue marble is our one and only home planet.
