Happy Earth Day!  Just because most of us are spending this special holiday at home, it doesn't mean we can't appreciate and support our environment.  Conservation most often begins in our neighborhoods and backyards, so here are some ideas to celebrate Earth Day at home.

Plant Something

A tree, flowers, or a vegetable garden.  Bonus points if you plant something native.  You can use this helpful tool to learn the native plants in your region.

Reduce and Reuse

Try to limit single use plastics and reuse the ones that you have.  You can wash out your plastic food containers with lids - such as yogurt, sour cream, or hummus containers - and turn them into reusable containers.  Instead of throwing away the items you won't use while you're Spring Cleaning, set gently used items aside to resell or donate! 

Clean Up your Street

Is there a place in your neighborhood with litter on the side of the road?  Get some fresh air and clean up a local street, park, or creek.  Extra Credit if you find a way to reuse the trash!  Did you know that cinder blocks and tires make great planters!?

Learn your Land

Part of protecting the earth is learning to identify the natural treasures that surround us.  Go for a "treasure hunt" to find wildflowers, rocks, leaves, nuts, and anything else that stands out in the wild.  Take pictures of your treasures then go home and try to identify each one.  PictureThis is a wonderful app for identifying plants.

Get Organized

How often do we buy food, clothes, and household items that we don't need, because we are unsure of what we have at home?  Take some time to organize your resources at home so that you don't double up unnecessarily.  

Learn Repair Skills

Spending more time at home is a great time to learn new skills!  Take a look at your clothing and outdoor gear, and find out what you can repair instead of throwing away.  Many items can be repaired with patience and a basic home sewing and repair kit.  There are great tutorials on websites such as YouTube and Instructables to learn essential repair skills.  If items can't be repaired at home, find a way to repurpose the item or research a local repair shop.

Get Inspired

There are so many chanpions of conversation to discover!  Check out the Armchair Adventure Book Club on Thursday, April 23 to learn about Carol Ruckdeschel, who has dediated her life to protecting sea turtles.  You can join us for free on our facebook page or on zoom.  There are also so many incredible ways to experience and appreciate our environment.  Tune into the Women's Adventure Film Tour On Demand this weekend to discover new outdoor heroes and activities.  And use code "keepgoing" for a special discount!