Earth Day events try to focus our attention on the environment, while the coming of spring may have started us thinking about picnics. You can celebrate both with a zero waste picnic. It takes a little more work and planning than a spur-of-the-moment picnic, but it’s guilt-free (at least environmentally – your diet is your lookout).

Cabrillo National Monument in California has some guidelines for visitors who want their lunch to generate zero waste. Planning a picnic like this can be a learning activity for a class or group outing.

Possibly the best way to plan is to work backward from your goal. Get three “large buckets, cans, boxes, or trash bags”, the guidelines say, and mark them “containers”, “compost” (this one should be sealable), and “other”. After the meal, the first will be used for recyclables, the second for food scraps, and the third should be as close to empty as you can get it. (Reusable utensils can just be taken home, of course.)

Some suggestions that come from my own experience:

· Use regular flatware instead of disposables, or better yet, pack just finger food.
· Instead of one-use sandwich bags, put sandwiches in reusable plastic containers (the square kind with lids, or even just takeout dishes).
· Take cloth napkins – paper is not good for compost if it’s stained with fat, protein, or cooked food.
· Speaking of compost, keep the bread and other processed food out of that, too. The best way to keep your “other” container empty is for everyone to eat all their lunches, even the crusts.
· If you have no composter at home, think about getting one (our city sells them for just $35). Meanwhile, put your scraps in the “other” container.

Above all, enjoy your lunch and enjoy the earth you’re helping to preserve.

Earth Day is coming up soon, but what do we really do to celebrate it? Most of the time we don’t even notice that it’s here. Or even if we do, we don’t know exactly how to celebrate it. Don’t worry, this time you’ll be prepared.

There are actually a lot of activities that we can organize, and we don’t have to do these strictly on Earth Day. We can do it any day, every day.

Clean-up

Organize clean-up events in your city. Pick a place and promote your event to get as many volunteers as you can to help clean the place. Talk to local businesses to help sponsor materials, including brooms, garbage bags, gloves and trucks.

Pledge

You can have people sign an Earth Day pledge and display them on a giant poster in a public place. Encourage people to create their own Earth Day pledges and keep them as reminders to always practice green ways.

Festival

Organize, along with other people, a festival featuring green businesses, including restaurants and shops (retail, specialty, grocery). It may be tedious to organize this, so it’s important to get the help of other people and the businesses, too. It’ll be worth it in the end and will spread more awareness in your community.

Contests

Organize contests, especially for young people. You can choose essay-writing, poster-making, poetry, photographs, etc. Get local businesses to join and sponsor prizes or venues or judges.

Tree Planting

Seek out local environmental groups or tree-planting groups, and volunteer your tree-planting services. Gather a number of your friends and volunteer with the groups.

Recycle Fair

You can organize lectures on recycling. You also can designate a certain location where people can drop off things they don’t have use for anymore. The organizers then can bring them to the appropriate centers to have the items recycled.

There are still a lot of activities that you can do to help spread awareness about a green life. Make sure to share awareness with others, especially since Earth Day is coming up soon.

April is Earth Month throughout many places on the globe. During the month of April we celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd. Did you know that there is another holiday that also celebrates the Earth and the environment but with the focus on trees?

Arbor Day is a holiday that got its start in Nebraska City, Nebraska. This is a special day that is set aside to remember the importance of trees to our world. Both individuals and groups of people come together on this day to plant new trees and care for existing ones. Celebrated on the last Friday of April, this tree holiday is recognized in a selection of countries throughout the world but not necessarily on the same calendar day.

Planting Trees

Climate plays a significant role in when it is best to plant trees. This may explain wy International Tree Day is not held in the same month across the globe. Trees that have just been planted will have the greatest chance for excellent health and longevity if the freezing cold temperatures of the winter have passed but before the dryness and heat of the summer sets in.

Newly planted trees respond well to rainfall and moderate temperatures, which make spring an appropriate time to plant them in many areas of the United States. Planting trees in the springtime allows them the necessary time they require to root and acclimate before they have to cope with any extremes in temperature.

The Importance of Trees to the World

In order to recognize the importance of National Tree Planting Day, it is essential to remind ourselves of why trees make such a difference in our world. Trees make the world a more beautiful place. They provide us with shade on hot days, as well as privacy when we need it most. Trees are kind to birds and small animals, as they provide shelter, as well as food. Trees also make for a fun place to play when you are a child!

Trees also contribute to the betterment of the planet as a whole. Trees absorb carbon dioxide that is released into the air. They give off oxygen, which we breathe in. Trees recycle moisture into the Earth’s atmosphere, and they help to prevent soil erosion. Trees also help to modify temperatures and block the wind.

Participate in your community’s Arbor Day!

Earth Day is on April 22nd. While that still may be sometime away, consider this- there is never just one day or any good time to think about doing your part for the environment. The best time is any time at all!

The concept of Earth Day was created by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, and it was born from a conference held in Seattle, Washington, in September 1969. It was decided that a day would be set aside in the spring of 1970 to make environmental concerns front and center on the national agenda. The day that was chosen was April 22, 1970, and it has been a tradition that has followed every year since.

April 22, 1970, was not only Earth Day, but it also signaled the start of what is considered today to be the modern environmental movement. An estimated 20 million Americans took part in the day’s activities that were aimed at creating a healthier and more sustainable environment for everyone on the planet.

Much has been done since then, and Earth Day is considered to be a holiday for many in which the planet is celebrated and new hope arises from the efforts being made to improve it.

One of the biggest Earth Days since its inception was in 2007. On that day a billion people across the globe participated in activities that were held in a variety of cities. Some of these places include New York City, London, and Madrid, Spain.

As we prepare to greet another Earth Day let us turn our attention toward the importance of trees in our lives.

How can you do your part to save a tree and help the environment?  Here are some suggestions:

• Cancel junk mail and any catalogs or magazine subscriptions that you no longer have any interest in.

• Purchase recycled paper products for your home, such as toilet paper, tissue and paper towel.

• Buy eco-friendly bags to do your shopping with.

• Pay your bills online. Go paperless whenever possible!

• Plant a tree in your yard or help someone in your family or neighborhood to plant a tree.

• When redoing your flooring, consider these wood floor options- reclaimed wood, FSC certified wood, bamboo or palmwood.