Earth Day

Topical Reference Page
Earth Day stamp featuring two human hands holding the Earth in space

Earth Day stamp, 1999

Every year Earth Day is celebrated globally on April 22 to raise awareness of the planet's health and to promote environmental education. In observance of Earth Day, the museum created this compilation of stories, exhibitions, and collection objects related to nature and the environment that are available on the museum's website.

Image: 33-cent Earth Day stamp

sketch of a duck with "Aint that duck"
Exhibition
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service issues a federal duck stamp every year to validate duck hunting licenses. Though sold at post offices, these are tax stamps with no postal value.
ecoEnvelopes logo
Exhibition
Out of the inspiring “green” revolution came the idea that...
Object Spotlight

In the vault of the National Postal Museum is a rarity which is neither a piece of postal operations history or philately. It is a block of 16 gasoline rationing coupons which were transferred from the Treasury Department in 1984. These coupons were among the almost five billion gasoline rationing coupons which were produced in response to the 1973-74 gasoline shortage at the direction of the Federal Energy Office. But national gas rationing never happened and the coupons were never used.

Exhibition

The Jeanette C. Rudy Duck Stamp Collection
The lovely, alluring duck stamps have captivated many collectors, including Jeanette Cantrell Rudy. The indomitable Mrs. Rudy, however, occupies a niche all her own. Over a fifty-year span, she assembled the hobby’s foremost collection. This exhibit features a sampling of the collection’s premier items, including the first duck stamp ever sold, errors, artist-signed issues, and remarques.

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Related Blogs

“Beautiful Blooms: Flowering Plants on Stamps” Opens Tomorrow!

The museum is pleased to announce the opening of its newest exhibition “Beautiful Blooms: Flowering Plants on Stamps."

Volcanic Activities: Tourism and Scorched Postcards at Hawaii’s Kilauea Caldera

This temporary exhibition features a variety of objects that narrate the century-long relationship between the National Park Service and the United States Postal Service, including two postcards that have been scorched in the fissures of Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano.

Conserving Ansel Adams’ Stamp Album

The National Postal Museum’s newest exhibition “Trailblazing: 100 Years of Our National Parks” is filled with amazing artifacts telling the story of our National Parks and its relations to the history of the United States Postal Service and philately. One of the objects chosen for the exhibition is the stamp album once belonging to famous photographer, Ansel Adams. Because of Adams’ portrayal of the natural world and National Parks in his photographs, having his stamp collection in the “Trailblazing” exhibition was a great fit. The curators wanted to display the album open to show the colorful and expressive array of stamps Adams had collected; but, before that could be done, the album needed conservation treatment.

Only Rural Carriers Can Prevent Forest Fires

Without fail, this time of year finds forest fires cropping up around the country. It is the case this year, as it was the case 100 years ago when Postmaster General Hitchcock offered the services of his Department to the Agricultural Department and its teams of forest rangers.

Related Content

Celebrating Earth Week

Earth Week is the week that leads up to Earth Day. Celebrate Earth Week with the Smithsonian, both in person and online. Explore events, exhibitions, resources, and podcasts that highlight Smithsonian efforts to advance sustainability and discovery in order to help people and nature thrive together.

Earth Day-Related Objects in Smithsonian Collections

Take a look at posters, buttons, stamps, and other environmental objects from Smithsonian Institution museum collections.