What To Do For Earth Day

Earth Day is an opportunity for us all to take stock or our collective and individual impact on the Earth. It is an opportunity for us to resolve to take some actions to lessen our impact and reduce our carbon footprint. The fact is our population just keeps growing and we are changing the environment. Climate change is real. Loving nature as I do, I hope we all take an honest look at the environmental issues and make some Earth Day Resolutions that we will keep. Here are five ideas of what to do for Earth Day that will make a lasting difference as well as be a fun activity.

What Do You Do For Earth Day?

First, when’s Earth Day? It has been celebrated on the same day each year since the first Earth Day in 1970. April 22nd is Earth day. In 1990, Earth Day spread internationally and has a great day to bring awareness to environmental concerns at a global level.

This year it will be on Friday. Which is a great time to select an Earth Day resolution and then to get started implementing the ideas over the weekend.

All resolutions require a bit of change and commitment. That is the beauty of them. That how they make a difference. That is how you can make a difference and be the change you want to see!

5 Earth Day Resolutions With Accompanying Activity

I will share with you my Earth Day Resolutions in the hopes that they may give you ideas for making your own Earth Day Resolutions. Here is what to do for Earth Day!

Each of these resolutions is not just an idea or a commitment. It is an an Earth Day activity that you can get started on today!

Spend More Time in Nature

I believe that if you really love nature, you will be inspired to take care of it. As a child, I spent so much time in streams, catching crawfish and salamanders and fish. I spent tons of time talking walks with my mother in the woods (even when I really wanted to be home playing Zelda!) My mom had be help grow many gardens. I went hiking and camping and I saw the beauty in it all. I loved it and was intrigued by it. No wonder that I was a biology major in college! 

I try to impart that my children by spending lots of time with them outside. Yesterday, we went to the nature center and caught tadpoles, fish, and salamanders! (We let them all go, of course.) They also got good and dirty digging in the dirt! Spending time in nature is likely to inspire you and your children to value it more. You may want to go on a nature walk and bring this printable Earth Day Nature Bingo card.

Start A Garden

We planted our garden as a family and we water and weed as a family.  Everyone gets involved and works together.  I can’t tell you how excited Sierra gets watching the plants. “Mama, come look, come look, the tomatoes have flowers!” Leo just wants to play with the worms, which I also think it great! Organic edible gardening also provides us with cheap organic produce that they are excited to eat after helping grow it. If you don’t have space for a garden, consider getting involved in community gardens which many schools or libraries host.

Start A Compost Pile

Making a compost heap with your kids is a great way to help teach them about where our garbage goes after it leaves the house, and how soil is made – and it’ll help you reduce your kitchen and garden waste. It is easy to do and enriches your soil. It saves me all that waste and odors in my trash can and it saves me money on fertilizer!

Designate an area for the heap that’s around 3ft square and away from the house. Get the kids to start the pile by layering brown waste (twigs, leaves and hay), green waste (grass trimmings and plant offcuts), kitchen waste, and soil, finishing with another layer of brown waste. Get them to water it down, and turn it occasionally with a small gardening fork or shovel.

Make sure they know what they can and can’t put on the pile – no animal produce other than eggshells, or oily food – otherwise you might attract unwanted visitors. You can learn more at Composting 101.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Recycle.

I believe firmly in reducing, reusing, and recycling as much as possible. If you are not recycling, it is the perfect time to start! Place a recycling bin next to your trash or in your pantry and use it every day. Just imagine if everyone adopted the three “R”s for their Earth Day Resolutions. You will be amazed at how little trash you have once you start recycling and composting! Recycling items like milk cartons, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans, uses less fossil fuels and virgin materials.

Reduce.

The less processed packaged food you eat, the better! Not only does it reduce the waste that goes in the trash and recycling bins, it is also so much better for you to eat fresh foods! Another best way to reduce waste is to bring reusable bags to the grocery store.

Reuse.

If you are done using something, bring it to Good Will and let it get used by someone else. You may even want to pick up some items you need while you are there. Sometimes people think that shopping green is too expensive but shopping used goods at thrift stores is also shopping green.

Reduce, reuse, and recycle. I think this is the area where people can make the biggest impact for planet Earth. If we modify a simple everyday behavior, it adds up to a huge contribution.

Get Involved In A Green Cause

Sign petitions or volunteer! More great Earth Day Resolutions involve getting involved with “green” causes and political movements for change.  Earth Day is also a great time to take action and push climate and energy legislation forward. You can also sign up for action alerts form Care 2. Earth Day is also a great time to volunteer. You may love it and want to do it all year!

Check with the Earth Day Network, a nonprofit organization, for an annual event in honor of earth day in your local area. There are so many different ways to make sure the natural world has a sustainable future. And each one of us makes that possible through our individual actions. We are the ones who can support the environmental movement and address the issue of global warming.

Inspiring Earth Day Quotes

Here are a few fun quotes for Earth Day to inspire you.

“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” -Kahlil Gibran

“The Earth is what we all have in common.” -Wendell Berry

“Earth Day should encourage us to reflect on what we are doing to make our planet a more sustainable and livable place.” -Scott Peters

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead

Earth Day Questions

Earth Day is a great opportunity to engage kids (and ourselves) in learning about the environment and how we can all help protect it. Here are some questions you can ask to get kids thinking. Some of these questions may even get adults thinking and that is the first step to coming up with solutions!

1. What is Earth Day, and why do we celebrate it?
2. How can we reduce waste at home and in our community?
3. What are some ways we can save energy and water?
4. Why is it important to recycle, and what can we recycle?
5. How does pollution affect the environment and animals?
6. What are some ways we can protect plants and animals in our area?
7. How can we help keep our oceans and rivers clean?
8. What are some benefits of planting trees and flowers?
9. How can we reduce our use of plastic?
10. What are some ways we can celebrate Earth Day every day?

These questions can spark conversations and activities that encourage kids to think about their impact on the planet and how they can make a positive difference.

Conclusion

I hope your earth day celebrations are a fun way to focus on nature and make some changes for the Earth to make it a healthier place. Please tell me about your Earth Day Resolutions so we can inspire each other! Which one(s) of these ideas of what to do for Earth Day will you pick?

Related Posts:

Green Benefits Of Living In A City

How To Make Family Hiking Trips Fun

10 Ways To Go Green With Little Effort Required!