5 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

Seemingly small acts can make a big difference when it comes to helping the environment. Earth Day is celebrated on April 22, but you can make a difference every day with a few simple activities.

Photo by Andrea Murphy Photography

Participate in Clean Up Activities

The Great Tulsa Clean Up, hosted by the City of Tulsa, will run through the month of April. Your family, friends, neighbors or co-workers can register for a place and time to help beautify the city. All team members younger than 18 must be linked to an adult leader/participant. Find out where you can volunteer and sign up at cityoftulsa.org/cleanup.

Lower Your Plastic Usage

According to earthday.org, plastic pollution is one of the most important environmental problems we face. Not only does it harm the environment, but it also negatively affects our health and wellbeing. You can take a Plastic Calculator quiz at earthday.org to learn how much plastic you use and then find tips to break your single-use plastic consumption. Just cutting back on plastic water bottles can make a huge difference.

Create Compost for a Backyard Garden

Food scraps and yard waste make up almost one-third of what we throw away. Show kids how to recycle food waste by composting. You can purchase a compost bin, but you can also make your own using a plastic storage tote. Put the lid on the tote and turn it over. Drill holes every couple of inches in the bottom and sides of the bin. Flip the tote back over and drill holes in the lid about 3-4 inches apart. You can compost veggie and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, leaves, paper and more. Go to epa.gov for a list.

Visit the Zoo or Botanic Garden

Visit the Tulsa Zoo, Tulsa Botanic Garden or any place where children can learn about endangered species, pollinators or the biodiversity of an environment. Maybe your child can learn about a specific endangered animal and find ways to protect it, or you and your children can design a pollinator garden for your yard or neighborhood.

Create Recycled Art

Transform trash into treasure by using old materials such as jewelry, cans, fabric, buttons, foil – the ideas are endless – to create art. Visit earthday.org’s Artists for the Earth gallery for inspiration. Encourage your kids to observe nature and create art objects from materials they collect.

More Simple Ways to Protect the Earth

• Turn off lights
• Recycle and reuse items
• Plant a tree
• Wash only full loads of laundry or dishes
• Ride a bike or walk when possible
• Turn water off while brushing teeth
• Use cloth napkins and real plates
• Use reusable shopping bags