April 22 is like a nature’s festival for me. Spring is here most days (even in Canada!), tulips and perennials are starting to pop out of the ground, and the litter that spent all winter hidden under the snow is also sprouting…
Spring cleaning isn’t just for our houses. Fellow homeowners will know what I mean when I say that even see the yard work seem to magically reappear. And that house siding needs a good pressure wash and that fence needs painting. Our bikes need tuning up. In the midst of all these chores, we realize the impact of seasons. Earth Day is a day of awareness, but it’s also a day of gratitude and responsibility. We must be grateful for the bounty that’s available to us through nature’s cycles and rhythms. We are also responsible for caring for the Earth as we would our homes.
It should be Earth Day every day because really, where else are we going to live?
Source: ChibiGuardianAngel, on DeviantArt
Here are two guiding principles to rock your Earth Day.
Get Involved
There are many ways you can educate yourself on environmental issues or take a proactive 
approach. Perhaps you will feel compelled by a community garden project or you’ll want to clean up your local park. Maybe you want to learn about local wildlife and how to help protect these animals.
Ideas to get involved, make a difference and learn!
- Attend a plant swap or check out your local garden club
- Install a rain water barrel in your yard (some cities subsidize their purchase)
- Get a composter (some cities offer the service or even offer free compost)
- Sign-up for a plant walk or a medicinal plant course
- Clean your lawn, stoop, balcony and pick up the trash that blew from the wind
- Pick up trash from your nearest green space, whether a park or a playground
- For a cleaner commute: tune-up your bike or dust-off your running shoes
- Volunteer at a park, like this one in my area
- If you’re ready for commitment and love animals, shelters are always looking for good families
Re-Connect
Earth Day is also meant to celebrate! I feel it’s important to honour our relationship to the Earth and nature because we are part of it. The better we understand our place and our relation to other living beings, whether they be animals, plants, crystals, water or soil, the easier it is to live in harmony. The relationship of oneness becomes clear and rewarding. We feel connected and we find purpose. Through this experience and mindful action, we create meaning.
Ideas to get you to nourish your relationship to all that is.
- Go hiking or walk in nature for at least 1 h
- If you live near a body of water, walk along it and admire its greatness and depth
- Go birding or walk your dog somewhere new and green
- If you work in the city, take your lunch outside
- Prepare a raw, vegan meal – experience food that is alive and not-processed
- Try a hatha yoga class or find a guided meditation on Youtube
- In your mind, try thanking your food today, and everyone who brought it to you: “Thank you, you are life, you are love.”
- Get your hands dirty: plant seeds or re-pot house plants
Personally, I’ll be taking nature walks, attending a yoga flow class (to help me with the flow of change and seasons) and downsizing my closet to favour natural fibres.
I hope these ideas get your green creative juices flowing and that you feel the wonder and brother and sisterhood of Earth Day.
HAPPY EARTH DAY, EVERY DAY!
Tell me how you’ll be celebrating.
