A worldwide movement called Earth Hour is held on the last Saturday of March, encouraging people, institutions, businesses, and even towns to turn off non-essential lights for one hour, and instead spend 60 minutes doing something positive for our planet.

The aim of the campaign is two-fold: to bring attention to the fast depletion of natural resources, climate change and pollution, and to inspire millions of people across the world to live more responsibly in terms of nature and the environment.

Organized by the World Wildlife Fund, the idea originated in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, and Slovakia soon followed suit. Since its conception the movement has grown immensely, more than a billion people from more than 7,000 cities all over the world participate.

Legendary castles in Bratislava, Bojnice, Trenčín, iconic landmarks such as St Elisabeth Cathedral in Košice, and various renowned tourist sites all over Slovakia, usually participate in the event. This year, the movement will be observed on March 25.

On this day, WWF Slovakia will travel to the scenic location of Hronský Beňadik, Central Slovakia, where after several years of effort, a protected area called the Hron Alluvium was established. The river area has great natural value and is of European significance. Together with the locals, the team is going to spend the day by delineating the area’s borders, cleaning and generally improving it in order to bring joy to people.

According to Miroslava Plassmann, the head of WWF Slovakia, this was the first time a municipality in Slovakia declared the territory of a river as protected. By doing so, future activities such as the planned construction of a hydro-electrical plant have been prevented.

The coal region of upper Nitra, west Slovakia, is a good example of how a former mining region can be transformed. This year, the Nováky brown coal power plant will shut down. It was considered one of the most problematic in the EU in terms of damage to both the environment and health. The towns of Prievidza, Nováky, and Zemianske Kostoľany found a different way to generate electricity and heat, for example, by means of biomass, heat pumps, and mine water. Moreover, former tailings piles will be closed, re-cultivated to allow the construction of solar plants.

Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová is also active in helping protect the planet. Before her election she became famous for winning a long-term battle against investors who intended to build a toxic landfill in the town of Pezinok, western Slovakia. She recently presented an ambitious plan to transform the presidential office into the first carbon neutral office in Slovakia.

The plan includes reliance on electromobility, green infrastructure and energy efficiency. The goal is to pave the way for other government institutions.

On this day, the WWF challenges people to break free of routine and dedicate their time to helping nature. Slovaks will also join in by cleaning and picking up waste in their environment, planting trees, or improving gardens and parks.

Protecting the planet is everyone's responsibility!