Host an Earth Day Event

Earth Day is April 22 and it’s a great way to not only celebrate efforts to sustain the environment, but to also actually put the mantras and ideas behind Earth Day into action. Even though you may not immediately connect Earth Day with fun, getting together with a group of friends to make a difference can be an enjoyable and satisfying way to spend an afternoon.

Many cities and neighborhoods advertise volunteer opportunities around Earth Day that directly affect the environment where you live. Cleaning up a park or nature reserve, planting trees and shrubbery or even hopping on a boat and fishing debris out of your local lake or river can all be great volunteer options.

However, you don’t have to wait on someone else to point you in the right direction to do your part. Hosting your own Earth Day event can be both more fun and less intimidating for your guests. A low-key barbecue and bonfire in a state park with organic and locally-sourced foods and reusable outdoor dishware (instead of paper products) can be a great way to start a conversation about making small changes to reduce waste and shop local. If you have your own yard, get your group together for a planting party for veggies, herbs and other small plants, and then send them home with some gardening materials for themselves. If you don’t have your own green space, working at a community garden with a few friends often results in free produce for the workers that day, which you can then take home for a scrumptiously fresh, casual dinner party.

Celebrating Earth Day is more than just committing to large projects — often the most significant changes are the small ones made on an individual level. Being the first one of your friends to suggest an Earth Day activity can be one small step on the way to taking care of the Earth.