In 1970, Gaylord Nelson, a United States senator from Wisconsin, called for the creation of a national event better known as Earth Day. Even in its first year, more than 20 million people participated. Today, an estimated 500 million people participate in 175 countries around the world.

All over the world, people and organizations will be participating in events. If you are wondering what activities are in your area, consider visiting the Earth Day Network, which includes a running tally of pledges from around the world. There are more than 85 million pledges to do something for our planet, including planting a tree in the yard to swearing off the use of plastic cups.

"There are thousands of events listed on Earth Day Network, and I sincerely hope people take the time to discover something that interests them," said James Hoke, president of TourGuy.com. "If you're traveling to Las Vegas for Earth Day, we hope we can help by introducing you to several national parks near Las Vegas."

Five Creative Ways People Are Celebrating Earth Day.

1. Go H20! is a special program developed by LA's BEST After School Enrichment Program and the American Chemistry Council for more than 28,000 Los Angeles students. Activities include teaching children about the importance of recycling, the health benefits of clean water, and how to choose reusable, recyclable containers.

2. Sierra Club's Military Families Outdoors initiative is working with the YMCA to to provide thousands of military youth and their family members with outdoor experiences at YMCA day camps, overnight camps and family camps from April 2011 through March 2012.

3. Naya Shoes is partnering with Nordstrom to plant 5,000 trees in support of Plant-It 2020, a national nonprofit organization founded by John Denver. The companies will plant a tree for every pair of Naya shoes purchased at Nordstrom.

4. Million Trees NYC will benefit from 500 trees donated by Aveeno Skincare, which has also challenged residents to donate an additional 500 trees for the city. Earlier this month, Aveeno created an entire pop-up forest in the middle of New York City's Times Square to raise environmental awareness.

5. Picnic For The Planet is a special event being shared around the world thanks to the efforts of The Nature Conservancy. The site, which was funded by the organization, helps people plan picnic lunches with friends in the open outdoors. It also includes five environmentally smart tips to be healthier.

How TourGuy.com Tour Operators Help Support Earth Day.

In addition to being a leading area resource that helps people get outdoors, TourGuy.com is dedicated to choosing tour companies that subscribe to Leave No Trace principles. This means each tour company already knows the regulations and special concerns for the areas they visit, preserving historic structures and artifacts, and properly disposing of trash.

"Last year was an amazing experience for everyone who took one of our tours because so many of our national parks have special activities on Earth Day," said Hoke. "It was also the day that I confirmed our commitment to being an environmentally aware tour company in the Las Vegas area."

For complete logistics, prices, and times, please visit Tourguy.com for adventure and eco-tours around Las Vegas. TourGuy.com is also a proud participant in Earth Day 2011 at Bloggers Unite.