Tips to mark Earth Day as a family

The way Jed Goldberg sees it, Earth Day is partly a day for reflection. “This is the day to pause and consider what our environmental issues are around the planet, but more importantly, what the solutions are,” says Jed, now-retired president of the Earth Day Canada organization.

Looking for some green solutions for your home or community to mark the day? “There are lots of ideas that can be done on Earth Day. It just takes a bit of creativity,” says Jed. “Maybe it’s time to plan a vegetable garden or a garden with native shrubs which use a lot less water,” he says. “As a community, you could set up an electronics recycling depot or help organize a free compost distribution.”

ParentsCanada also asked moms and dads: How have you celebrated Earth Day?

“Last year we gave our son Caelum a candlelit bath and story before bed. We then took the dog out back to see the darkened skyline.”

Lisa Charlton,
Toronto

“We plant a tree on our property for Earth Day. A few years ago we bought one on Earth Day but it was so cold that we had to wait until Mother’s Day to plant it. But that’s a double win in my books.”

Jen McLaughlin,
Kitchener, Ont.

“This year we are going to strap on some carriers and take the kids for a hike along the river if it isn’t too cold.”

Jeff K.
via Twitter

“We weren’t sure what to do with our then 18-month-old son Dylan and six-year-old daughter Ava. So we kept it simple and walked to our local grocery store picking up garbage along the way. What I didn’t expect was that people would also begin helping us by spotting garbage, picking it up and bringing it over to dispose of in our bag. It had a great ripple effect!”

Gieselle Tkaczuk,
Toronto

“For Earth Day we are hoping to clean up and stabilize our waterfront property. I see a day spent in a canoe on our river tidying. We are also looking into funding for natural ways to stabilize our riverbank.”

Jennifer Pinarski,
Peterborough, Ont.

Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, Apri 2013.