5 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day with Your Daughter

5 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day with Your Daughter

5 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day with Your DaughterOn April 22, more than one billion people around the globe will participate in Earth Day 2014.  This is the 44th celebration of Earth Day – a day to appreciate the earth and stand up for protection of natural resources.  It is the greatest legacy we can leave our children.  I’ve listed some ideas here for celebrating Earth Day with your daughter.  Feel free to leave your comments about how you plan on celebrating.

1. Spend some time researching alternatives to disposable feminine hygiene pads.  According to the website Envirocitizen “in a lifetime, the average American women will dispose of about fifteen thousand sanitary pads and/or tampons, translating into about three hundred pounds of waste.” Multiply that three hundred pounds of waste by millions of women menstruating in the United States and you can see how changing to reusable pads or other alternatives would have a huge impact on the waste stream.  Explore sites like Luna pads.com and DivaCup.com with your daughter.  Even if she prefers disposable products now, it will give her something to think about as she grows older.

2. Walk, bike or use public transportation on Earth Day for visiting friends or running errands.  In today’s busy world, doing this everyday may not be practical.  However, choosing one day a week to leave the car parked is an easy way to help the earth and get some exercise.  In our community, ‘walk pools’  instead of ‘carpools’ have become quite popular.  Encourage your daughter to create a group that walks or bikes to school.

3. Donate a tree to a local park in your community.  Many towns and cities have programs in place to encourage donations to support local parks.  The Arbor Day Foundation also offers a program to donate a tree to national forests in honor of celebrations or special people in your life.  What a great way for your daughter to honor someone close to her.

4. Organize a neighborhood clean up.  Doesn’t have to be formal.  Gather a few friends and neighbors around and pick up trash on the streets near your homes.  Recycle what you can and toss the rest into a trash can.

5. Take action on an Earth Day concern.  The Take Action page on the Earth Day website lists active campaigns.