Bringing Earth Day Back Down to Earth

Earth Day is one of my favorite holidays. 

Our home.

Okay, that may be kind of a strong statement for an annual event only 40-some-odd years old, but I like its spunk. Originally conceived as a world-wide environmental teach-in (love that hippie suffix), I admire its global, grassroots-driven, hands-on teachiness. I also respect its adaptabiltiy; the official date of Earth Day had moved around a bit over the years, and is scheduled to fall on April 22 at least until 2015. 

Over the years, I've been to several big Earth Day events that involve going around to various booths and stations that allow you to do stuff like play with a model of the water cycle, make paper out of tree pulp, or plant your own Douglas Fir seedling. I'm crazy for that sort of thing.

I will grow to be a giant. Be forewarned.

Of course, the advertisers have seized on Earth Day as one more opportunity to get us to buy stuff. Even my beloved Target has hopped on the eco-loving bandwagon, encouraging us to celebrate the day with a new tube of organic toothpaste or perhaps a case of bottled water. (Oops. Bottled water is now bad. Better keep up, Target.) 

And crafty bloggers go nuts with Earth Day projects, which generally involve reusing a bunch of weird odds and ends that no one really has lying around anyway, to make even more weird stuff that will be thrown away in six months. Here is a link to an example of what I mean.. No offense to anyone who likes to honor the earth with shopping or crafting; I'm glad if it works for you.

For me, this special day calls for a more natural and thoughtful response. Here are my top three ideas for bringing your Earth Day celebration back down to earth:

1. Make a simple but meaningful change in your life that will impact the environment for good.

We've heard all these ideas before: change out your old lightbulbs to the new compact fluorescents, re-use your shopping bags, set your washer's temperature to cold or at least warm. The internet is loaded with lists of planet-saving ideas like these; this one is my favorite because it's so visually pleasing. 

Sometimes when I look at this sort of list, I feel so overwhelmed by all the things I might change that I end up doing nothing. This year, I am trying to save myself from that paralysis by challenging myself to do just ONE thing differently. I've elected to stop receiving paper bank statements by just checking a box on my online banking page. Easy. Do it.

2. Share a earth-friendly story with a child.

Children's authors have been on a love-the-earth kick for generations, and there are a lot of great reads out there for you and your favorite short people to celebrate our mama planet. Consider these:

A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

My Spring Robin by Anne Rockwell

And then there's this one, the slightly preachy but great rhyming granddaddy of all environmental children's books. Skip the movie and read the book instead; I promise you'll be glad you did.

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

3. Go outside and feel the love. 

Nothing makes me appreciate my planet more than hanging out in wild places. Have I ever mentioned a little piece of heaven called Stevens Pass? Yeah, don't even get me started.

But I don't need to travel 75 miles to find natural beauty. Little bits of nature's untamed sweetness can be found here, there and everywhere, and snapping photos of such evidence is one of my favorite pastimes:

Dandelions in the grass at my school.

Mossy bits growing up through last year's sticks and leaves in the far back corner of the school parking lot.

A determined little maple leaf and some colorful moss on a tree outside Ranger's vet's office.

Daisies in the lawn near the parking lot at Edmonds Community College.

Lichens and mosses on a tree near the tennis court at school.

While none of these images captures mind-blowing vistas of nature's greatest miracles, each one reminds me that the true miracle of earth is its quiet, precious beauty that surrounds us every day. And that is a fact that is well worth celebrating.