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NRCS celebrates Earth Day at the world's largest green gathering

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NRCS's Ben Harrison and Rexie Harrist visit with hundreds of elementary children and teachers at EarthX in Dallas, TX

For the 12th year in a row, NRCS Texas exhibited at EarthX in Dallas, Texas. EarthX coincides with Earth Day each year and is one of the largest events of its kind in the world.

By Dee Ann Littlefield, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist


For the 12th year in a row, NRCS exhibited at EarthX at Fair Park in Dallas April  12-23, 2023. The Earth Day Expo is an environmental expo that has grown to be one of the largest events of its kind, with an average of 177,000 attendees, 300 exhibitors, 450 speakers, and 2,000 conferees.

Earth Balloon at EarthX in Dallas, Texas.
The giant Earth balloon helps the over 170,000 EarthX visitors imagine all that the Earth is and why Earth Day is important to celebrate. Visitors to the event learn more about Earth's Natural Resources from the exhibitors.

It has grown to become the largest event of its kind in the world, bringing together environmental organizations, businesses, academic institutions, government agencies, speakers, interactive programming, and subject matter experts. EarthX is an international nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to educating and inspiring people and organizations to take action towards a more sustainable future worldwide. 

“NRCS works with rural and urban farmers, ranchers, forest owners on a daily basis to help them be sustainable stewards of our lands and natural resources,” said Zone 5 Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations Laura Broyles. “EarthX is a great platform to showcase these efforts and educate even more people about the opportunity to build resilient agriculture systems, both large and small, that can play a role in addressing climate change. It’s also a great opportunity to reach new audiences about volunteer and career opportunities with our agency.”

EarthX annually coincides with Earth Day, which is celebrated every year on April 22. This year’s theme was “Invest In Our Planet,” highlighting the importance of dedicating our time, resources, and energy to solving climate change and other environmental issues. The theme parallels USDA’s emphasis on climate-smart agriculture. USDA-NRCS staff was on hand to offer visitors information about how the agency offers voluntary programs and services to help American’s build soil health, sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance productivity and commodity marketability, and mitigate the impacts of climate change while building resilience to strengthen to their operations.

During the three-day Expo, NRCS staff provided visitors with information on backyard gardening, conservation practices that can be implemented on large- or small-scale operations as well as information about careers and volunteer opportunities with the agency. 

Yesenia Diaz, and NRCS employee at the McKinney Field Office in McKinney, Texas visits with high school and college students about career opportunities with NRCS.
Yesenia Diaz, an NRCS employee in the McKinney Field Office visits with high school and college students about career opportunities with NRCS at EarthX in Dallas, Texas.

“Attending these types of conventions such as EarthX is one of the best means of advertising our agency’s ability to assist small scale producers,” said Floyd Nauls, State Outreach Coordinator and Tribal Liaison for NRCS in Texas. “Many attendees visited the NRCS booth stating they had no idea a government agency could help with backyard conservation concerns or small sites. I’m elated our agency has taken a proactive approach to addressing small, urban, and historically underserved producers across all landscapes."

NRCS Texas has been exhibiting at EarthX every year since 2010, when Trammell S. Crow adopted Dallas’ Earth Day celebration and turned it into an environmental expo that attracts to Fair Park every April hundreds of vendors, hundreds of thousands of visitors, dozens of politicians, and some of the most prominent environmental enthusiasts on the planet. The event started off as Earth Day Dallas before becoming Earth Day Texas and re-branding as the more global-minded EarthX.

Since those modest beginnings, EarthX has grown into a world’s fair-style exposition. It is one part festival, featuring live music, art and food to help create a fun and engaging atmosphere for thought and experiential learning; one-part green convention, with hundreds of representatives from organizations ranging from green home gardening companies to energy companies to community groups and more; and one-part environmental conference, with a diverse array of speakers.