This year marks the 43rd anniversary of Earth Day, and although much progress has been made since those early days, the earth is still in need of our appreciation, support, and protection. (To learn more about how Earth Day started, check out our post on Denis Hayes, the coordinator of the first Earth Day.)
If you're looking for a good way to celebrate this year, consider these ideas:
Get outside. Participating in an outdoor activity is a great way to enjoy nature's bounties. Earth Day walks are held in cities of all sizes, but you don't have to be part of an organized event to enjoy the fresh air -- go for a stroll, or make your workout for the day alfresco. Health and fitness expert Stephanie Mansour recommends skipping those plugged-in treadmills and ellipticals and instead hitting the great outdoors. "Nature has a calming effect on us and helps bring us back to our center -- the sun, plants, and even bodies of water and land help us refocus and regroup without the distractions of other people on man-made workout machines next to us or music over a loudspeaker, " she says.
Turn trash into treasure. You're probably in the habit of recycling paper, plastic, and cardboard at your home and office, but think outside of the box on Earth Day. Nonprofit Second Chance Toys is holding an Earth Week drive to collect unwanted plastic toys and distribute them to children in need.
And, remember, recycling only truly works when we "complete the loop, " meaning, when we purchase products made from the materials we've placed in the recycling bin. Check out www.dolphinblue.com, where all our products are made from post-consumer recycled materials and in the USA.
Educate yourself. The Earth Day Network recommends organizing a screening of an environmentally themed documentary, such as King Corn, Blue Vinyl, Who Killed the Electric Car?, Earth Days, The Blue Planet, or The 11th Hour.