TODAY, APRIL 22, 2020, IS EARTH DAY! A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO CELEBRATING
Despite today’s circumstances with COVID-19, you can still celebrate Earth Day, today, tomorrow, and forever. Start now to make yourself, and the earth, feel better.
- Pick up trash in your neighborhood. We all have plastic bags now, courtesy of shopping in the age of COVID 19. Grab a bag, with gardening gloves on, and fill it up with pesky, windblown rubbish.
- Request permanent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which funds land from the Grand Canyon to many neighborhood hiking trails. Send a quick email to your state representative, saying, “Please permanently fund the LWCF. Thank you! #LWCF” Here’s how to find your representative: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
- Plan a bird and butterfly garden now. Use this Native Plant Finder guide to explore what grows in your area. Then call your local nursery and place a pick-up order. https://www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/
Now you are on your way to Certified Wildlife Habitat status. https://www.nwf.org/garden-for-wildlife/certify
Check out your local Audubon Society’s website for plant sales. Here’s a site for New Jersey: https://njaudubon.org/gardening-for-wildlife/
- Be a rebel and let your lawn go wild! Or partially wild. A practical guide from Popular Mechanics, says, “A garden that’s planted purely by aesthetic decisions is like a car with no engine.” https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/lawn-garden/a28197493/give-your-yard-back-to-nature/
- Support subscription-based birding and other wildlife services; let the experts do their jobs. It’s easy to buy a Federal Duck Stamp https://www.fws.gov/birds/get-involved/duck-stamp.php, or to join a local or national conservation group and enjoy their membership benefits. While you’re at it, treat yourself by downloading a bird-identification app such as Merlin or Audubon merlin.allaboutbirds.org , audubon.org.
Start honoring Earth Day today, and commit to celebrating all year long!