CELEBRATING EARTH DAY YEAR ROUND – HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Welcome back Margaret Bourne to the Harmony Village community. Margaret enjoys the outdoors, whether it’s through travel, lifestyle activities or even dining. This week, be sure to read Margaret’s blog Suburban Tourist (http://www.suburbantourist.ca) to see how this Earth Day, you can perform little actions that will have big consequences on the environment.

Celebrating Earth Day Year Round – How You Can Make A Difference
By: Margaret Bourne

 
I love nothing more than enjoying the outdoors, whether it’s through taking a hike, canoeing or just walking in my local park.  But I’ve seen it many times before:  the empty paper coffee cup or plastic lid on the side of the hiking trail, the paper bag and packaging from the fast food meal somebody decided to take during a walk at their local park, or even worse, the plastic bags that end up in rivers and creeks.

We don’t like seeing garbage on our properties, and it’s just as unacceptable to see it littering parks, conservation areas and provincial or national parks.

With Earth Day fast approaching, on Monday, April 22 we should all be aware of how we can do our part through small actions that cause big change:

• Always take out what you take in: pack a garbage bag with whatever food and beverages you bring with you when hiking the trails or camping. It will make it easier for you to carry out the garbage you create. 
• Pack a garbage bag and rubber gloves in your knapsack for those occasions when you do spot garbage on a trail. It takes a few seconds to pick it up and you feel good for keeping natural settings beautiful. 
• Bring food and drink in reusable containers that you are naturally inclined to take home with you. It’s very rare that we see Tupperware thrown on the ground at our local parks and hiking trails. 
• Take your kids and grandkids into natural areas and parks and teach them how littering can make things look ugly. Involving them in the picking up and disposing of garbage instills a positive attitude about being responsible for the keeping the world around us clean. The more you expose them to this at a young age, the better the chances they don’t litter as they get older. 
• If you see somebody littering, pick up the item and say “I think you dropped this.” They may have deliberately have thrown it away, but pointing out that you’ve seen them litter can subtly shame them into taking it to the closest garbage can or recycling bin.

Always keep in mind that actions speak louder than words. When others see you being responsible and concerned about keeping natural areas clean, they will most likely do the same.