Happy Earth Day! Even with COVID-19 restrictions and stay-at-home orders, you can still celebrate this great day of supporting environmental protection. While we may not be able to partake in group littler clean-ups or tree plantings, we can still get involved from home! Whether it be picking up trash or exploring your local flora and fauna, we’ve collected earth-friendly activities that you can do any day of the year, no matter your lockdown restrictions. Keep reading to find out how you can celebrate Earth Day in 2021!
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Here Are 5 Fun Ways To Celebrate Earth Day This Year!
Plant Your Own Produce
Shop as local as possible and avoid carbon emissions that result from shipping produce all over the country by growing your very own vegetable garden! You don’t need ample garden space or even a backyard to make this possible, many vegetables can be grown right in your kitchen! For more tips check out 7 Vegetables You Can Easily Regrow in Your Kitchen. Make your Earth Day garden even more eco-friendly by upcycling items around your house that can be used as planters. You can use jars, milk cartons, empty containers and more!
Clean Up Your Local Park
While group cleanups will have to be postponed until next Earth Day, most parks and sidewalks still need a lot of TLC. Head out to your local parks or trails with your quarantine bubble and see who can pick up the most litter, winner gets to decide what’s for dinner! Avoid large groups of people to keep COVID spread to a minimum and remember in the future to always pick up after yourself.
Make A Sustainable Meal
The easiest way to make a positive environmental impact is to be conscious of your diet. You don’t need to fully transition to veganism, but simply reducing your meat consumption one day a week can make a big difference. Plan a plant-based meal for this Earth Day and shop for locally sourced ingredients. To ensure you waste as little as possible, follow our guide on How To Make Use Of Your Kitchen Scraps.
Swap Out Kitchen and Household Products
Little changes around your kitchen can make a huge difference to your carbon footprint. Take this Earth Day to swap out disposable items like plastic Tupperware and plastic wrap with glass containers and beeswax wraps. Consider creating your own natural cleaner with everyday ingredients like lemon juice, baking soda and vinegar! For more ideas on sustainable kitchen hacks check out How to Remodel Your Kitchen Habits for Less Waste.
Support Your Pollinators
Take some time this Earth Day to help out your local pollinators! To help bring bees and other pollinating creatures to your garden, plant wildflowers and native species. Simply add a few of these plants to your garden today, and you’ll be amazed at the difference-they’ll bring in pollinators as well as birds! Remember not to rake your leaves too early in the springtime as many pollinating species have laid their eggs there over the winter.