Happy Earth Day!
This year marks the 46th anniversary of the holiday meant to inspire and remind us to be kind to to our planet. John McConnell was a Peace Activist who proposed the day in 1970 as a way to promote peace and to honor Mother Earth. We can use the day to adopt new practices within our families and carry them with us all year long. Just think: If we teach our kids these positive habits, and they share them with their friends and eventually teach their own kids… we are that much closer to a cleaner, healthier, more peaceful planet! Earth Day will hopefully start a movement in all of our lives to make every day an Earth Day. Here are some fun activities you can do with your families and some planet friendly practices that we can all aim to incorporate on the daily!
Planet Friendly Habits
Not Paper, Not Plastic!
Purchase a few reusable grocery bags and take them with you on store trips. Plastic bags are rarely recycled and pose a tremendous threat to our environment. Plastics are not biodegradable and are often ingested by wildlife and marine life. In addition, they are made from petroleum oil… wasteful and yucky! Paper bags are a lesser evil, but an evil nonetheless. These bags are also not always recycled, made using petroleum oil and create more atmospheric waste. Reusable is the way to go!
Six Pack Rings and Other Plastic Things!
This is just a small example of a plastic item and it’s imminent danger to our sea life, namely dolphins, fish and sea turtles. They can become entangled in these rings, or some animals even mistake them for food! Sea turtles often think they are jellyfish! My 7 year old (pictured below) has taken to cutting plastic rings up on her own when she finds them because, unfortunately, plastic of all sorts often ends up in our bay.
Conserve Water: Every Drop Counts!
There are many ways you can conserve water in your household. Every drop definitely counts and no amount saved is too small. For example, if you are draining an aquarium, use a hose and siphon the water into your flower garden or onto a grassy area that needs watering. When doing your laundry, match the water level to the size of your load. If you are bathing your pets, bathe them outdoors where thirsty grass can benefit from the spillage. When washing dishes, don’t let the water run constantly – have one sink full of soap and the other full of clean water for rinsing.
Earth Day/Every Day Fun!
Earth Day activities can even be fun! Try one of these great activities with your kids, for both Earth Day and every day!
- Plant a tree! Dig in the dirt!
- Begin a community garden.
- Make recycling a normal habit.
- Plant wildflowers and milkweed.
- Find out why bees are vital to our existence.
- Provide a birdbath or small pond for wildlife.
- Organize a litter clean up party. Make it a monthly event!
- Attend a farmers market to buy fresh vegetables.
- Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!
- Buy a fun and safe reusable beverage bottles for water and drinks!
- Make your own cleaning products with vinegar and water!
- Construct a birdhouse for your yard.
- Donate items instead of throwing them away.
- Start a compost bin.
- Ride your bike and walk, when possible.
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.
— Native American Proverb