This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. Organizers see it as an opportunity for “a global outpouring of energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to create a new plan of action for our planet.” The theme for Earth Day 2020 is climate change. “Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable.”
Here are some activities you can do from home, to help support Earth Day 2020.
Make an Earth Day window sign
The folks at Earth Day suggest that you include options for follow-up on your sign. You have to give people who see it something to do next. They recommend including #EARTHRISE, #EarthDay2020, or earthday.org on your sign. For more information click HERE.
Sign ideas:
Climate Change
- The climate’s changing; why aren’t we?
- Don’t be a fossil fool
- Let’s rise up before the seas do
Conservation
- Biodiversity or bust!
- Respect existence or expect resistance
- No Nature, no future
Sustainable Food
- Fight climate change with diet change!
- Food waste isn’t in good taste
- Be a winner; eat a plant-based dinner
- Soy to the world
Plastic
- Less plastic would be fantastic!
- Mother Earth doesn’t like quitters; pick up your litter
- Don’t be trashy! Buy less plastic
- Dump bad habits, not your trash
Art
- There’s no eARTh without ART
Sign a petition (David Suzuki Foundation)
The David Suzuki Foundation provides links to a number of online petitions where you can lend your support to a number of issues in the areas of: biodiversity, cities, climate solutions, environmental rights and oceans
For more information click HERE.
Become a Bee- bnb Superhost!
Bee-bnb hosts will pledge to provide essential amenities, such as gardens filled with native wildflowers, plentiful water sources and sunny patches for basking. They’ll go all natural, choosing not to use harmful chemicals in their yard.
All Bee-bnb Superhosts commit to providing a five-star stay by offering all five amenities:
- NATIVE PLANTS:Grow native plants that are adapted to your community’s soil and climate
- CONTINUOUS BLOOMS:Fill your yard or balcony with flowers and shrubs that bloom from spring through fall
- WATER:Offer sources of water with perches (like flat stones) for basking
- NESTING PLACES:Keep pithy stems and woody material for cavity-nesting bees like mason bees and leave bare patches for ground-nesters like bumblebees
- GO ORGANIC:Avoid pesticides, herbicides and other harmful chemicals
For more information go to: https://davidsuzuki.org/action/beebnb/
52 Ways to Care for Creation
Creation Justice Ministries has compiled a list of 52 different ways you can care for creation. Choose one or two to work on each week. Share it with your friends and family, maybe turn it into a friendly challenge to see who can check off the most on the list.
For more information click HERE.
Creation Scavenger Hunt
A great activity for children and youth, and the young at heart. The Creation Care Team of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Wake Forest, North Carolina created a Backyard Scavenger Hunt to encourage members to get outside and appreciate creation.
Scavenger Hunt List
A PDF of the Scavenger Hunt is available here.
Supplies: You may want to have some crayons, a couple of pieces of paper, and a small bag (like a paper lunch bag). But don’t worry if you don’t – your eyes and ears are all you really need. Check off items or add your own answers, and have fun!
- First, look up! Check the sky. What do you see?
- Name something living in your yard:
- Place a nonliving, but not manmade, thing in your bag.
- Find 3 different trees in your yard and make tree bark rubbings with your crayons, using your extra paper.
- Is one of the trees taller than your house?
- Put 3 different leaves in your bag, and try to find a Y-shaped twig to add to your bag.
- Can you see any bird’s nests in your trees? How many?
- What birds do you see – what colors are they?
- Find some flowers in your yard and draw a picture of them.
- Do the bees like your flowers?
- Name the other insects that you see. Maybe they help to spread pollen like the bees. You can talk with your family about why pollinators are important.
- Can you find a spider web? Is the spider at home?
- Close your eyes and listen for a minute.
- What do you hear? Enjoy nature with your family!
Sharing the Results
If you take part in the Scavenger Hunt or any of the other activities and are inclined to share your results, please tag the church in your personal social media posts. You can also send photos to punitedc@telus.net to be included on our website and social media.
Penticton United Church 