It’s Earth Day’s 50th anniversary, and although many Hawaii nonprofits will not be holding some of their annual festivals, events or gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic, many are celebrating the milestone today virtually.

Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii canceled its annual Earth Day Festival at Waimanalo Beach Park this Sunday, along with the coastal beach cleanup that last year drew hundreds of volunteers.

“In the days and months to come, we may not be able to host our signature large-scale cleanups (though we remain optimistic), but we can unite millions, if not billions, through continued online education programs, story-telling that brings light in dark times, and forums of discussion that expand future abilities to combat our biggest challenges,” wrote executive director Rafael Bergstrom.

With the ongoing pandemic and stay-at-home orders, Bergstrom realized in March that the annual festival and cleanup would have to be canceled.

“We’re so built on community engagement, and hands in the sand action that translates into action in our daily lives,” said Bergstrom, who was expecting an attendance of 2,000. “Of course, that’s disappointing, but we’ve been rolling with the punches.”

Starting at 5:30 p.m. today, Sustainable Coastlines is hosting a virtual screening of “The Story of Plastic,” a documentary that takes a sweeping look at the impact of plastic pollution on the health of the planet. To register, visit this link.

Originally, the film was going to be screened for an in-person audience at Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club in Waikiki, but will instead be offered virtually for those at home, and will be available from tonight through Sunday.

A virtual talk-story session with a panel of activists and researchers is scheduled at 5:30 p.m. Sunday including surfer-chemist Cliff Kapono, freediver Kimi Werner, activist Pattie Gonia, Kevin O’Brien, president of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project, and Maxx Phillips, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity.

“Plastic is a gateway to a larger understanding, because it’s so pervasive day to day,” said Bergstrom. “Then we make connections to other pieces of our lives. This piece of plastic comes from oil, then we burn it and throw it away and it never goes away. If we have this mindset of this one thing in our life, then we start to think of the other things in our life and the impacts they have…It starts on an individual level and gets to institutional changes.”

Sustainable Coastlines partnered with Zero Waste Oahu, the Kokua Hawaii Foundation and Surfrider Foundation and Algalita for the release of the film.

Sustainable Coastlines has also launched the #AntiSocialCleanup challenge, which asks participants to share via social media how they are cleaning up the planet at home, whether it be starting a compost in the back yard or reusing an item.

Bergstrom said it’s a tragic, yet eye-opening time, when orders for people across the globe to stay home to stop the spread of the coronavirus have resulted in cleaner air and the return of wildlife.

“I think, especially on Earth Day, we have a moment to reflect,” he said. “What I hope is that through tragedy, we come out of this and figure out how not to go back to the normal we had before. Let’s create a new normal where we change our behaviors so that there’s still a beautiful, thriving life while not harming the world in a way we clearly have been.”