What’s Your Earth Day Planet Power? Pledge to Protect Aquatic Life with Shedd Aquarium

This year’s theme for Earth Day on April 22 is “Our Power, Our Planet,” which is all about leveraging our collective Planet Power to make a real impact. Shedd Aquarium welcomes 2 million guests every year to spark curiosity, compassion and conservation for the aquatic animal world. To further harness the power of collective action, Shedd Aquarium is inviting people of all ages to sign a digital pledge for Earth Day and declare individual’s Planet Power, aligning passion with actionable steps to take alongside Shedd.

From advocating for environmental protections to cleaning up local beaches, there are many different ways to generate positive change. By making a public commitment, people are more empowered and encouraged to follow through on conservation actions.

Throughout the month of April, Shedd will have opportunities on site at the aquarium for guests to sign the pledge and choose how to help protect our blue planet. People can also sign the pledge digitally – available in both English and Spanish – and share the commitments on social media to amplify the action and spark others to join in. Through this pledge, everyone can be part of the movement to protect waters, wildlife and communities in Chicago and beyond.

What’s your Planet Power – and which animal at Shedd are you most like? Sign the pledge to find out and learn more below!

Super Advocator

Super Advocators are warriors for policy change. People who want to speak up for aquatic life can sign up for Shedd’s advocacy alerts to receive information about local, state and federal legislation that impacts aquatic life and community health and well-being. Shedd’s pre-written templates allow people to easily send messages to their elected officials urging them to support bills that protect the environment. Last year, over 1,600 Super Advocators raised their voice with Shedd to call on decision makers to pass legislation that will protect people and aquatic life.

Super Reducer

Super Reducers take small yet powerful actions to minimize their impact on the planet. About 22 million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes every year, threatening the health of wildlife and the quality of our drinking water. To reduce the plastic waste entering our waterways, Shedd encourages Super Reducers to carry reusable water bottles or challenge themselves to go plastic-free for a day.

Super Volunteer

Super Volunteers get their hands dirty for a cleaner future. For those interested in volunteering in their community, Shedd Aquarium Action Days give participants the opportunity to clean up Chicago’s beaches, rivers or forest preserves, removing litter and restoring crucial habitats for fishes, amphibians, birds and other wildlife. These volunteer opportunities are hosted throughout the year for individuals and groups. In 2024, over 2,100 volunteers helped restore local waterways and cleaned up over 5,800 pounds of litter.

Shedd’s Contributions

Shedd Aquarium’s Planet Power is protecting aquatic animals and the ecosystems they call home through programs, advocacy work, volunteer opportunities, conservation research and more. Shedd sets ambitious goals for waste, water and energy reduction and continually strives to operate the 458,000-square-foot aquarium sustainably. This includes installing solar panels on the roof, reusing water from different habitats and diverting an average of 80% of the aquarium's waste from the landfill each year through recycling and composting efforts. Learn more about Shedd’s sustainability on the aquarium’s website.

VISUALS: Find high-resolution photos and broadcast quality video here: https://personal.filesanywhere.com/guest/fs?v=8e7065885d6673b1a497&C=50

Photo Credit: ©Shedd Aquarium