Earth Day is Saturday!<\/strong> Do you have any special plans to celebrate our planet with your family? If you don’t, I have some great ideas to share. Earth Day is a special day to stress the importance of giving back to the planet we live on. Teach your children to respect and nurture the Earth<\/strong> and you will be making a difference not only in the next generation but our planet as well.<\/p>\n

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Go on a Litter Walk<\/strong><\/p>\n

Grab some trash bags and gloves and set off around your neighborhood cleaning up the trash that is around.<\/strong> Explain to your kids how littering like this is dangerous to wildlife. As you pass your neighbors encourage them to join in. Before you know it, you will have a parade of trash pickers and as they say; many hands makes the load lighter.<\/p>\n

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Plant a Garden<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nothing shows your kids where their food comes from better than planting a garden.<\/strong> From seeds or seedlings, they will see the entire process. Let them help with tending and caring for the garden all season. By the time of your last harvest, you will have some very experienced gardeners.<\/p>\n

If if is too cold yet to plant by you, plan out your garden with your kids. You can start getting your garden ready by cleaning up last years plant remains, leaves, sticks and other debris. Then break up the soil. You should pick a soil test kit up and test your soil to see what nutrients it is lacking. The better your soil, the better your garden.<\/p>\n

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If you don’t have land to plant a garden, plant some container gardens <\/a>or vertical gardens<\/a>.<\/strong> There are some great ideas for maximizing your space on sites like Pinterest, so check it out.<\/p>\n

Plant a Tree<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a lot of fun, take a ride down to your local nursery and pick out a tree or shrub. Then go home and plant it together. Again, enlist your children to take part in the planting and care of the tree. Explain how the plants and trees give us something we need to live…oxygen.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Start a Habitat Garden<\/strong><\/p>\n

Did you know that our population of pollinators is dwindling? It is, and our food supply depends on bees and butterflies to thrive. Do your part by researching the types of plants you need to create a habitat garden.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Monarchs<\/a> main food source in the Milkweed plant but along with that you can plant native grasses, butterfly bushes, bee balm and so much more. There are also butterfly houses<\/a> and feeders<\/a> as well as bee houses<\/a> you can add to help our pollinators. We visited a butterfly house<\/a><\/strong> last year with our kids and learned so much.<\/p>\n

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Start Composting<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do you compost? If not you should. It will not only cut down on your organic household garbage, it will enrich the soil in your garden.<\/strong> It is not hard and you have a lot of options.<\/p>\n

There are countertop compost bins<\/a> you can use to collect your daily vegetable peels, banana skins, egg shells, coffee grounds etc. Then you can take them out to a compost bin or drum<\/a>. They have nice units you can buy that make it super easy or your can put up some wire fencing and make a bin of your own. You can read more about the process HERE<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Go For a Family Hike:<\/strong><\/p>\n

See the beauty of our planet by taking a family hike. It is good exercise for the body, mind and soul. Pack along a picnic lunch and make a day of it. There are resources for your state where you can find recommendations for great trails. Go somewhere new, you might be surprised at the beauty you find and did not know existed in your state.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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