5 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

April 22 is Earth Day! If you’re looking for a meaningful way to celebrate it, here are some ideas you can try: 

1. Start a Nature Journal: Sometimes it’s hard to care about something when you don’t know much about it. Creating a nature journal is an easy way to get connected with the outdoors. A nature journal is a book or notebook for recording thoughts, feelings, ideas, and observations about the natural world. They can be as formal or as informal as you like. Click here for ideas on how to start one today. 

 2. Clean Up Litter: Get your gear and head outside to pick up some litter. It can be from a section of park or your own neighborhood. Be sure to take necessary precautions before and during the clean-up. This page from the Willistown Conservation Trust has tips for keeping everyone safe.

3. Make a Recycled Bird Feeder: You can help provide the birds in your yard with a plentiful food source during nesting season by making a bird feeder from objects that might otherwise be thrown away. Ideas to try: Milk Carton Bird Feeder,  Teacup Bird Feeder, Planter Dish Bird Feeder, or a Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder.

4. Start Composting: When you compost, you are gathering organic materials that will later be added to the soil. As the materials are piled up, they break down naturally, the same way dead leaves and other materials break down on the forest floor. The compost pile is now filled with beneficial microbes, bacteria, and fungi that can be added to your garden or yard. Besides reducing the waste in landfills, composting also reduces the need for pesticides or fertilizers as it sends essential nutrients back into the soil. This page from MamaNatural.com will help get you started. 

5. Get to Know Your Natural Neighborhood: If you ask your someone what activities are available in their neighborhood or city, they may say “shop at the mall” or “go to the movie theater”. But there are also so many things to do outside. With a little research, you’ll soon know your natural neighborhood too.  This includes parks, trails, camping sites, and more. Click here for ways to get started.