Environmental Awareness Calendar
Below is a guide to environmental awareness celebrations, festivals and dates from New Zealand and around the world. We aim to make this guide as easy to use as possible. If you have any additions or suggestions please contact us.
See New Zealand dates only
Printable Environmental Awareness Calendar
Printable Environmental Awareness Calendar 2020 Dates
January
February
- Month - Bike Ready Month (previously Bikewise), NZ
- Month - Aotearoa Bike Challenge
- Varies - Estuary Festival, Christchurch, NZ
- 2nd World Wetlands Day
- 11th International Day of Women and Girls in Science
March
- Month - Whio Awareness Month, NZ
- Month - Sustainable Backyards (Envirohub), Bay of Plenty, NZ
- Month Varies - Ecofest North (Kaipatiki Project), NZ
- Varies - Seaweek, NZ
- 3rd World Wildlife Day (UNGA)
- 8th International Women's Day (UN)
- 14th International Day of Action for Rivers
- 21st International Day of Forests (UNGA)
- 22nd World Water Day (UN)
- 28th Earth Hour (WWF)
April
- Month - Takahē Awareness Month
- Varies - Tearfund Ethical Fashion Guide
- 7th World Health Day
- 13th International Plant Appreciation Day
- 20-26th Fashion Revolution
- 22nd Earth Day
- Last Saturday of April - Save the Frogs Day
May
- Varies - Tech Week
- Varies - BLAKE Inspire (formerly Youth EnviroLeaders' Forum)
- Varies - Organic Week
- Varies - World Fairtrade Day
- First full week of May - International Compost Awareness Week
- 5th International Permaculture Day
- First Saturday of May - World Naked Gardening Day
- 16th World Fish Migration Day
- Second Saturday of May and October - World Migratory Bird Day
- 20th World Bee Day (UN)
- 22nd International Day for Biological Diversity
- 23rd World Turtle Day
June
- Month (start and end date goes with moon) - Pipiri ki a Papatūānuku
- Varies - National Volunteering Week
- Varies - NZ Garden Bird Survey (Landcare Research)
- Varies - Matariki – Māori New Year
- 3rd World Bicycle Day
- 5th World Environment Day (UN)
- 5th Arbor Day
- 5th International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing
- 8th World Oceans Day
- 15th Global Wind Day
- 16-22nd Global Sharing Week
- 17th World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
- 18th Sustainable Gastronomy Day
- 21st International Climate Change Day
- 29th International Day of the Tropics
July
- Month - Plastic Free July
- Varies - Earth Overshoot Day
- Varies - Biosecurity Week
- 11th - World Population Day (UN)
August
- Varies - Youth Peace Week
- 22nd World Plant Milk Day
September
- Month - Straw Free September (Our Seas Our Future)
- Month - Second Hand September (Oxfam)
- Month - Bee Awareness Month
- Varies - Conservation Week (DoC)
- Varies - Te wiki o te reo Māori (Māori language week)
- Varies - Keep New Zealand Beautiful Cleanup week
- Varies - The Great kererū Count
- 7th International Day of Clean Air for blue skies
- 16th International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
- 18th International Equal Pay Day
- 19th World Cleanup Day
- 21st International Day of Peace
- 22nd World Car Free Day
- Fourth Sunday of September - World Rivers Day
- 29th International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
October
- Month - Biktober (Christchurch)
- Month - Save Kiwi Month
- Varies - WasteMINZ Annual Conference (Sep/Oct/Nov)
- Varies - Zero Waste Network Hui-ā-Tau (annual hui)
- Varies - Bird of the Year (Forest and Bird)
- Varies - Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards
- First Monday in Oct - World Habitat Day
- Second Saturday of May and October - World Migratory Bird Day
- 5th World Teachers' Day
- 13th International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
- 16th World Food Day
- 19-20th Recycling Week
- 31st World Cities Day
November
- Bi-annual (Varies) - Para Kore Hui-ā-Tau
- Month - Nothing New November (Launched in 2019 by New Brighton Stitch-O-Mat)
- Varies - Gender equal pay day (there are international versions as well)
- Varies - Sustainable Business Network Awards
- 5th World Tsunami Awareness Day
- 6th International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
- 10th World Science Day for Peace and Development
- 20th World Children's Day
- Monday before Thanksgiving - White Monday
- Day after Thanksgiving - Buy Nothing Day
December
- 5th International Volunteer Day
- 5th World Soil Day
- 11th International Mountain Day
- 11th Use Your Own Cup Day
Decade
- 2011-2020 - Decade on Biodiversity (UN)
- 2014-2024 - Decade of Sustainable Energy for All (UN)
- 2021-2030 - Decade of Ocean Science (UN)