By Beth Robinson and Harshitha Hebbar, PG Science Communication
'Environmental progress is built through everyday action—from communities protecting ecosystems to innovators advancing solutions. Clean air, safe water, and climate resilience aren’t optional—they’re essential. For Earth Day 2026, we’re mobilizing at scale. Every action counts. Every voice matters.' (Earth Day Network)
Earth Day, which takes place on the 22nd of April every year, marks the origin of the environmental movement as we know it. This year’s Earth Day carries the theme ‘Our Power, Our Planet’ - a strong, and much needed, message.
In today’s era of doomscrolling, it has become the norm to be bombarded by information, which is overwhelmingly negative. Bad news sells, after all. Being constantly subjected to depressing information unsurprisingly takes a toll on your mental health. But fear not! There is a way to kill, or rather save, two birds with one stone - using our power for our planet, and making a tangible difference both for your mental health and the environment.
Community action is one of the most effective ways of bringing about change. A core pillar of the Earth Day movement, it fosters a sense of belonging that motivates - an antidote to the apathy-inducing individualistic cycle of doomscrolling. One of the best things about community action is that it’s never one size fits all. From exploring nature, to art, to geo-politics and beyond, there are fantastic ways to get involved in our very own Bristol's green scene, making connections and enacting change along the way.
Today, we explore ways you can do just that.
Start here with Bristol Climate and Nature Partnership
Stuck on where to start or looking for a specific community? A larger umbrella organisation, Bristol Climate and Nature Partnership runs multiple programmes and events all over the city across many domains. Its events are a particularly good entry point into environmentalism in Bristol, given the diversity of events, from open meet ups within nature, to the Black and green ambassadors programme (focussing on building diverse leadership), to making climate work accessible for disabled folk. It also provides excellent educational resources and overarchingly states its aim of ‘building a movement for positive change on climate, nature, and inequality’. A next free monthly Green Mingle will take place on Thursday 7th of May, hearing plans for the Festival of Nature, taking place in June, a good opportunity to meet new people and bring along new ideas on how to get involved.
Find nature and community at The Birch Collective
Based in east Bristol, The Birch Collective are a CIC offering free or 'pay what you can' nature-based sessions, promoting spending time outdoors, learning practical skills, and supporting wellbeing along the way. Programmes include weekly woodland sessions in Trooper's Hill woods; Fresh Air Thursdays near St George's Park, and interactive workshops on mental health, social action and nature. The Birch Collective has strong racially diverse, neurodiverse, LGBTQ+ and working class representation, very much emphasising their intent to create an inclusive space, and to keep wellbeing accessible. If it’s a bit too far away or just not for you, you can also support the initiative by donating on their website.
Get vocal with Bristol Climate Choir
A niche group for those of you interested in singing! Bristol Climate Choir is a group which peacefully protests using parodies of pop songs. Raising awareness and advocating for changes such as boycotts and ethical banking, Beth recently saw them covering K-Pop songs in Broadmead encouraging folks to switch away from Barclays. There were lots of smiles, bright colours, and good vibes! Though there were folks disagreeing with the messaging, there were many productive discussions around the situation. Contrary to frequent media portrayals, concern for the environment exists across the political spectrum, which is great news for collective climate-specific progress.
Get even more vocal with Extinction Rebellion
A UK based group that has now gone global, Extinction Rebellion (XR) is a non-violent direct action group that tackles various facets of the climate crisis. With a strong emphasis on regenerative culture and a self-organising system as opposed to a hierarchy, XR focuses on using people-power to cultivate change. Its activities range from holding open meetings to public disruptions, with plenty of behind-the-scenes roles available. If you’re planning on joining a direct action group, please be mindful of both your boundaries and your comfort level.
Sophie Mayhew
Maddy Russell
Every action matters - so here’s six bonus ones to consider:
- Get cycling for free through Bristol City Council’s Borrow a Bike Scheme
- Eat delicious vegan food and buy local veg at Chaya Canteen on St Michael’s Hill
- Explore environmental projects and shop ethically at Sparks Bristol in the city centre
- Email your local Councillor if you have concerns about an environmentally harmful initiative in your local area.
- Listen to the award winning One Love One Planet Podcast at home or whilst wandering
- Take in the beauty of the Botanic Gardens, free for students!
Featured Image: Epigram / Beth Robinson
What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day?
