Written by Madie, a staff member with our Lou Duggan Creative Studio crew
From the air we breathe and the delicious fruits we eat, to the salty ocean breeze we feel and the beautiful spring blooms we see, Mother Nature provides for us every day. So why not return the favour?
This Earth Day (and every day), show our planet some love by following some, or all, of the ideas listed below.
Clean up your neighbourhood, favourite park, or local beach.
Round up some friends or coworkers, strap on some gloves, and start reducing litter in the natural spaces you love. You can even join a province-wide clean-up initiative by signing up for The Great Nova Scotia Pick-Me Up, opens a new window, which runs from April until November 2022. Halifax Public Libraries is one of the pick-up sites for the program's clean-up kits.
Grow your own food.
Start with a simple indoor herb garden. Try plants like basil, parsley, mint, thyme, or chives. You don't have take up an entire backyard or fill a greenhouse with home-grown produce to grow the food you will love to eat (although wouldn’t that be the dream?).
Reduce your food waste.
Did you know that about 58% of food produced in Canada is wasted each year, opens a new window? It doesn't have to be this way. We can all do our part to prevent food from going to waste by starting with simple acts. Plan your grocery shopping ahead of time. This act will help you avoid buying extra or unwanted food that will end up spoiling in the back of the fridge. Try new recipes to use up the parts of vegetables you would normally throw away, such as homemade veggie broth or cheesy broccoli stalk fritters. You can also try regrowing food scraps, such as the ends of green onions, lettuce, and celery. Just place them in water in a sunny spot by the window.
Take some time to appreciate Mother Nature.
In the Halifax region, we are blessed with natural spaces both within the city and just short drives away. Go spend a few hours taking in the sights and sounds of wildlife. Maybe a short walk through the forest, a waterfall hike, or a nice picnic in the park. Just remember to pack out any litter you bring (or find!) and avoid disturbing the wildlife.
Bring out your inner biologist.
Learn about our local ecosystems, climate patterns, and wildlife. There are so many great resources out there including documentaries, blogs, environmental organisations’ websites, and, of course, library books! If you're more of a hands-on person, bring your resources into the field with you and dig in. By better understanding our environment, we can make better decisions to help protect it.
Read up on environmental policies.
Do you know how environmental policies affect our natural spaces? By being informed on the decisions made about the use and protection of our planet and its natural resources, we can hold large corporations or governing bodies accountable and demand sustainable changes to keep the planet healthy.
Rethink how you consume.
From food to clothing to technology, everything we buy has an impact on the planet. Before purchasing something new, use up what you already have at home. And when you can, try to make do without it or maybe make it yourself. Purchasing secondhand is another way to prevent more stuff ending up in landfills. Websites like Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace are great places to start, but thrift stores, yard sales, or even relatives’ basements can be treasure troves of unique items that might perfectly serve whatever purpose you need.
Finally, try a fun upcycling project.
Use your creativity to bring new life into an old or broken object instead of throwing it away. You might be surprised with what you can come up with! The internet has loads of great ideas for upcycling projects, and some ideas we like are a bike helmet turned into a plant pot, old cutlery turned into wind chimes, and rubber tires turned into a trendy side table! The Library has creative technologies that can help you, too.
Have fun finding new ways to Love Our Earth (Every) Day. And check out our resource page for climate action for even more ideas.
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