Earth Day in Castle Pines and beyond
Earth Day on April 22 is a chance to celebrate the home we all share, whether it is joining an event or simply looking for ways to appreciate the natural world around us. Here are a few family-friendly ideas to celebrate all month:
Take a walk or hike and collect natural paintbrushes, such as long blades of grass, pine needles, twigs, sticks, leaves and reeds. Once home, dip them in paint and experiment with the different prints and patterns each one makes. Attach flimsier finds to a stick with a rubber band. Experiment with hammered flower art, which requires only flowers, paper and a hammer (and a safe surface to hammer on).
Go on an animal expedition in your neighborhood with a magnifying glass, a pencil and a notepad. See how many animals and insects you can find. Add up all the animals that you see…squirrels, dogs, rabbits, deer, or possibly an owl? Ants and bugs count, too. Bonus if there are artists who draw any of them in detail.
Bring on the birds by building a bird feeder. Find a kit or simply hang a peanut butter and birdseed coated pine cone from a tree.
Hang all bird feeders at least six feet off the ground and regularly clean up dropped seeds, so deer cannot get the birdseed. There are many reasons not to feed deer, such as creating dependency and disrupting their specialized digestive systems.
Consider planting a pollinator garden with native flowers that provide food and shelter to local species and watch our feathered friends visit.
Clean a park or your neighborhood. With a garbage bag and gloves, head to a favorite or new spot and pick up trash while exploring the area. Windy days tend to provide more opportunities to remove trash.
For more ideas on ways to take action for the planet, visit prevention.com or head to earthday.org, whose mission is to broaden, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide since the first Earth Day in 1970. Since then, Earth Day Network (EDN) has mobilized more than one billion people annually, on Earth Day and every other day, to protect the planet, working with more than 150,000 partners in over 192 countries.
Earthday.org has free toolkits, actions such as planting a tree or signing a petition, and fun quizzes to test your knowledge on renewable energy and sustainable fashion. There are inspiring stories from communities around the world, an Earth Day Live virtual series, and resources designed for students, families, workplaces, faith groups and communities everywhere.
By Lisa Nicklanovich
