The Earth Day Eight:
8 things you can do today to make a difference tomorrow (and beyond!)
Happy Earth Day! In 1970, Wisconsin's own Gaylord Nelson helped launch the first Earth Day with the intent to make a lasting progress toward protecting the planet and its inhabitants.
Change that is authentic. Meaningful. Big-time. With heart and soul.
That's what all of us are working toward too! If you're looking for ways you can meaningfully celebrate the Earth today and beyond, we have eight great ideas for you below.
1. Support Knowles-Nelson.
The best way you can do that is to contact your representative to ask for their support for the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, which provides critical funding for land protection. Your vocal and enthusiastic support for conservation is SO important!Read more about that here.
2. Commute (greenly) to your favorite green space.
Make sure your Earth Day has some joy in it! Walk/bike/pogo to a park and spend time watching birds, plants, and insects in their spring-time glory. Or tune in to the Goose Pond webcam and our Sanctuary Storymaps for a visit without the commute. Have some fun and remind yourself of why you love the natural world and work so hard to protect it.
3. Shrink your footprint.
Some very effective ways to reduce your carbon footprint are to eat less meat, cut your home's emissions, and talk to your kids about the importance of caring for the planet. Here are three great, short podcasts (meat,home,kids) that help you put it into context.
4. Commit to being an ally.
The outdoors need to be safe, welcoming, inspiring places for anyone to enjoy, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, members of LGBTQ+ community, and differently-abled people who are often excluded from or belittled in outdoor spaces. You and I can change that!Learn how we can practice allyship in the outdoors here.
5. Honor a loved one.
Make an honorary donation to Madison Audubon that celebrates your favorite conservation hero AND the planet. Or make a memorial donation to celebrate the legacy of someone you remember and miss who cared for the birds and landscapes of Wisconsin. Celebrate a loved one here.
6. Be proactive about bird protections.
Window collisions, lead ammunition and tackle, outdoor cats, pesticide use, nutrient runoff... there are so many threats to birds and the environment that you can help reduce! This is a great time of year to make a few changes that have a big impact. Learn more about threats and how you can help.
7. Plant native species in your yard.
Make your yard a lovely, functional, and sustainable place. Native plants are great for gardens because they require less water and fertilizer, they feed native species like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, and they come back each year. Be sure to select true species, not cultivars or fancy varieties. Check out these 11 native species that are great for monarchs (and lots of other critters).
8. Join Madison Audubon.
We'd love for you to join our flock as a member, a citizen science volunteer, a book club participant, or a sanctuary visitor. We welcome everyone to experience the joy and inspiration nature provides.
Happy Earth Day, today and every day!
Cover photo by Monica Hall
