This year marks the 53rd anniversary of Earth
Day. This year’s theme is “Invest in Our Planet”. It's a great time to teach our kids about caring for the planet. Here are some things families
can do at home to celebrate from The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Support the pollinators
Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds are all pollinators.
Plant flowers and other plants that will draw these vital creatures to your
garden or yard.
READ MORE: Help feed the bees for Earth Day
Clean up the plastic in your neighborhood or local park
Grab the fam and some recycling bags and head out to pick up
all that plastic people discard. Take
what you can to a recycling center. Bonus: you can bring other bags and pick up
trash in general to make the area cleaner and healthier.
Swap out the plastic products in your home
Plastic sandwich bags, food wrap, storage containers and
more are all a huge problem in our landfills. Try switching to more
eco-friendly products. You can find lots of products online.
Plant a tree
If you have the property and the room, by all means, plant a
tree. They are just plain good for the environment.
Plant wildflowers and native plants
Indigenous species attract native and beneficial insects.
Wildflowers will bring your pollinators. Once you get pollinators, you get
birds. Win win for everyone.
Reuse and recycle in the garden
Buying mulch and topsoil in bulk drastically reduce
packaging. Recycle the plastic containers the plants and flowers came in and
try to use biodegradable planting items.
No more pesticides or chemicals in the garden
Compost is literally black gold to gardeners. Turn this into
your soil and reap the rewards with big, healthy plants. Bring in the bugs.
Ladybugs are fierce and will help keep your garden free of pests.
READ MORE: Fun activities for Earth Day you can do with your family
Conserve water
Water your garden conservatively. Be sure to water from ground
level as to not burn the plant itself. You can harvest rainwater in barrels or
use a drip hose to help reduce water consumption. This does not just go for the
garden. Reduce your water usage in the house also. Turn the faucet off when you
brush your teeth and only turn it back on to rinse.
Think about changing your diet
See if you can pick up food with as little packaging as
possible. Farmers Markets are great for this. Bring your own reusable bags and
help even more.
Get your kids involved
Kids love to help out so get them in the garden and start
teaching them conservation early. Let them plant some sunflowers, or better yet
veggies. They are more likely to eat them if they grow them.
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