An international celebration, Earth Day 2024 took place on April 22. For anyone looking to ways to celebrate, consider these options.

According to the National Wildlife Foundation, North America sports a bee population of approximately 4,000 native species of bees. While some people have an understandable aversion of bees, they play a vital role to our ecosystem.

They need pollen and sugar nectar for food, so put out some plants and a nectar dispenser outside and support your local bees. If you see bees setting up a hive in your yard or home, contact a local animal control professional to safely remove them.

Cleaning your home for Earth Day varies a little from your average Spring Cleaning. While the same practices of cleaning, decluttering, and generally freshening up your home can be used, an Earth Day cleaning can also involve cleaning up your yard and/or neighborhood.

This doesn’t have to be a deep cleaning, either. Even a simple act of picking up some random garbage or sweeping the sidewalk can help beautify your neighborhood. Plus, if you have space to plant and cultivate flowers or plants, the effort will look attractive while also encouraging a more green-friendly appearance to your living area.

Not a theme park, unless they’ve got some special “Earth Day” event with special pricing.

Parks come in a variety of types, from the local neighborhood park to state parks. Every park offers something unique, and all of them encourage Earth Day awareness and activities simply by existing.

For instance, a park with a hiking trail can encourage the idea of outside exercise while observing the local plants and animals. Parks with water access, either for swimming or boating, can provide a unique way to enjoy nature while moving through some of the most unique parts of nature’s offerings. And parks with individual features, such as waterfalls or natural rock formations, provide the best example of what makes the area wonderful.

Also, parks with big climbing trees will never not be awesome.

Nothing says “Earth Day” better than planting some new plants. But before you dig a hole in some random park and throw a spring flower in with some fertilizer, keep in mind a few considerations.

• Can you plant anything in a chosen space? While planting a flower in a public park might be welcomed by most people, the groundskeepers may be forced to unearth the flower because of landscaping plans or homeowner association rules.
• Can the plant survive in the chosen area? If the flower or plant you’ve chosen requires a lot of TLC or happens to be incompatible with the area weather, the plant may not survive the initial planting.
• What will the plant look like in the future? If you plant an oak sapling, for example, you need to consider the amount of space the tree will take up as it grows.

Basically, just do some pre-planning before you start digging through the sod.

This can include creating rain barrels for irrigation and gardening, or even simple tasks like turning off the water faucet when you’re not using it. This goes double for anyone that leaves the sink running while brushing their teeth.

Earth Day Every Day

The best way to celebrate Earth Day would be to practice environmentally healthy living and activities throughout the year. So don’t just make a day out of it; try to make what you learn on Earth Day carry over to every month!