Earth Day is here again, and it’s the perfect time to honor our planet and all that it provides for us! Unsure of how you can celebrate this year? There are so many ways to pay our respects to nature and the environment in the month of April. We’ve compiled 10 ideas to get you started and make the most of this unique holiday.
Start a Garden
April is the perfect time to start planting some seedlings in the ground, or to plan out a garden for later in the season. The act of gardening is a perfect way to connect you with the earth, and can yield fresh, yummy produce for months to come!
If you don’t have a backyard available to you, you can plant a container garden near a window (herbs like sage and basil thrive inside) using some flower pots and enjoy fresh herbs year-round. You can also check out a nearby community garden and get your own little plot of land to cultivate your favorite fruits, veggies, and flowers!
Attend a Local Sustainability Event
With sustainability rocketing to the top of our collective consciousness, there are plenty of eco-minded events to attend throughout the month. From secondhand clothing swaps to brewery pop-ups and community Earth Day celebrations, the options are endless! Check out some local Denver-area event ideas here to get those wheels turning, or simply Google sustainability events in your area and enjoy the festivities!
Read a Sustainability-Focused Book
There is a plethora of fabulous reading material these days focused on awareness of environmentalism. Find a good planet-focused book, brew up a cup of your favorite tea (or pour a glass of wine - we’re not fussy) and find a cozy blanket to wrap yourself in - it’s reading time! A couple favorites that we recommend include the academic and mind-opening “The Uninhabitable Earth” by David Wallace-Wells and the poignant and poetic “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
Have an Eco-Minded Movie Marathon
If snuggling on the couch, popping some popcorn, and enveloping yourself in a good movie is more your speed, grab some friends or family together and have an eco-minded movie marathon! A couple of our favorite movies include “Don’t Look Up”, a fictional story about an impending meteor strike (spoiler alert: it’s a metaphor for climate change) and “Kiss The Ground”, an enlightening documentary about the threats of industrialized agriculture and how regenerative agriculture is paving the way forward.
Get Your Voice Heard in Local Politics
One of the best ways to enact change on a local level is to communicate with your elected representatives. Search up current environmental issues circulating around your local communities or sustainability-oriented legislation that’s up for a vote, and reach out to your reps to express your support. If you’re not seeing enough done in the environmental space in your city or state, share your concerns! Phone calls to your representatives take less than 5 minutes and can have a significant impact on the issues they choose to pursue.
Commit to a Sustainable Diet Change (For at Least a Month)
What we put in our bodies is deeply connected with our relationship with the planet, and you can make a difference on your environmental footprint by simply switching up how and what you eat every day. Choosing low-emissions diets like vegetarian or vegan fare is a great way to make an impact, even if you just start a “Meatless Mondays” trend in your household. Buying organic when it’s accessible and affordable to you is another way to limit the amount of toxic pesticides that harm our soils and wildlife. And hey - you never know what new healthy habits you’ll develop, love, and decide to incorporate for good!
Take a Nature Appreciation Hike (Or Walk)
Get outdoors and enjoy nature! There’s nothing better than taking an appreciation stroll on a local hiking trail or in your own neighborhood and taking a moment to celebrate the beauty and balance in our natural world. This is a perfect activity to do with little ones or when you need to unwind from a hectic and stressful schedule. Sometimes all we need is to reconnect with our roots to remind ourselves why sustainability truly matters.
Organize a Trash Pickup Event in Your Community
If you love organizing events, this is a great option for you! Gather some friends, neighbors, or coworkers together, grab some hefty work gloves, some trash bags, and your sunscreen, and hit the streets (or trails) for a good old-fashioned clean-up. Take care with this one, though - make sure when picking up trash that you’re being mindful of any sharp or dangerous objects. It can be so rewarding at the end of a trash pick-up event to see the direct impact of your labor in the form of filled-up trash bags and a newly sparkling clean local park or side of the road.
Make a Sustainable Swap in Your Home
Sometime this month, take stock of the products that you use around your house on a daily basis - everything from the plastic bags that help you pack school lunches to the dental floss you use to keep your mouth dentist-approved. Then look for one sustainable swap to make that will help you decrease your single-use items or plastic use in your life. Choose a swap that feels attainable and satisfying and go for it! We are firm believers that every little step counts, and starting where you feel comfortable is both the most empowering and effective way of making change.
Shop Eco-Friendly With Us!
Support your local and sustainable shops in your community - like us! At Summit Sustainable Goods, we take extra steps while vetting products to ensure that all our zero waste household care and personal care products are truly environmentally friendly and plastic-free. No harsh chemicals or single-use items here! We work with our suppliers to make sure all the products we sell are safe for the environment and your body - because we believe that you and mother nature both deserve the best. It’s just another way we live into our values of being as environmentally and ethically conscious as possible.
Where can you find our curated selection of high quality and sustainable products? You know we’ve got you covered! Check out our website at www.summitsustainablegoods.eco or visit us at a local pop-up around town. (Info available through our website or socials.) Want to follow our journey and learn about future zero waste events and happenings? Adventure with us by signing up for our email list or follow us on Instagram or Facebook to keep up-to-date on all things Summit.
Much love,
Carrie, Founder
Photo credit for Lakewood Earth Day Festival 2022: City of Lakewood Planning and Sustainability
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