Our Earth, Our Responsibility

April 22 is Earth Day and this year’s theme is Restore Our Earth!

​We invite you to take action this year and help to Restore our vital Earth!  Everyone doing a small part can make a big difference collectively. ​

We remember planting trees and shrubs to beautify and add more greenery to our yards.  Planning and planting flower and vegetable gardens to enjoy the bountiful fresh produce and lovely flowers all summer.  Picking up litter with family and friends was another way to help make a difference in our community.  It brought us together to enjoy nature and marvel at its many wonders.  It provided lots of quality family time with our kids and some wonderful teaching opportunities about taking care of our earth so as to make it a better place for the future.  Not only was it a fun activity to get out and enjoy nature, but it gave us the opportunity to get active and experience the sense of having done something very worthwhile.  We want and need your help too, to restore our earth!  

Need some ideas to get you started?

1. Plan to grow your own garden.
There are many types to consider.  It might be a vegetable garden so you can enjoy your own fresh produce.  Who doesn’t love those sweet summer strawberries or cool crisp cucumbers? How about the juicy ripe tomatoes or the fresh herbs and lettuce for your own salads?  Even if a garden is small a few plants can produce an abundance of produce.  You’ll likely have extra to share.

Or what about a flower garden?  Beautifying your space has many benefits.  Not only does gardening keep you active, it’s therapeutic as well.  Working in the dirt and getting fresh air helps to ease some of the tensions on stressful days.  The flowers are a great side benefit. 

Many a time the boys would come in with a small handful of freshly picked flowers to adorn the kitchen table. Flowers also attract pollinators back to your yard. Watching the butterflies and hummingbirds come to sample is therapy in itself.

A few other specialty gardens might be a shade garden, a butterfly garden or one that is designed to keep, although lovely, wildlife away.  We understand they can be a bit pesky on our properties at times.  Planting some deer and rabbit resistant plant varieties may help to enjoy the animals from a distance rather than having them underfoot in your garden.

2. Plan a new landscape design.
This many include rejuvenating your current flower or shrub beds.  Working up the soil, adding compost to replace lost nutrients, and trimming back older shrubs and perennials or perhaps  replacing some can bring new life to your yard. Maybe you have been wanting to add a  bed in another area of your yard.  Designing  and choosing new plants to go in it can be challenging but so rewarding.  You can personalize it to suit your own needs.  There are always helpful people at your local garden centers if you need ideas.

Photo by: Thomas Hawk

3.  Planting some new trees.
Trees always add a lot of character to a yard.  Choose something that is suitable to the area you are putting it in, paying attention to its needs and its full grown size. Of course there are many benefits to planting a tree. It takes up carbon dioxide and breathes fresh life into ours.  It provides shade, a windbreak and shelter for wildlife.  Trees are also beautiful!

4.  Start your own composting project.
There are many ideas out there to build your own compost box or one can be purchased fairly inexpensively.  You can use those grass clippings, leaves, food scraps, or any vegetative matter to make a nutrient rich compost that can be put back into your landscape beds or gardens.

5.  Choose to Recycle.
Almost everything can be recycled and kept out of our ever increasing landfills.  Compacted and buried garbage does not decompose.  Paper products, plastics, clothing, household items, toys and old unwanted electronics can be recycled.  Check out Morden Recycling and thrift shops in the area for ideas.

6.  Pick up Litter.
Be the one to pick up litter rather than the one dropping it.  It keeps our community looking clean and beautiful.  We all appreciate that!  Wildlife also thanks you. 

These are just a few ideas that can help make a big difference in our community.  With every community doing it’s part, together we can help to Restore our Earth!  Take action with us to celebrate our amazing Earth and restore it!

Happy Earth Day!