Members of the Climate Conservation Club at Great Falls Elementary School help set up for the Bluebell Walk at Riverbend Park.
This region offers so many ways to celebrate Earth Day, which falls on April 22. For example, with the help of Fairfax County Master Gardeners, you could plant a habitat garden using native plants. Soil testing kits are available at all Fairfax County libraries, and the Great Falls Garden Club has resources on local native plants and a youth grant for gardens that support local ecosystems.
Another option is to volunteer. Fairfax County offers many volunteering opportunities at local parks. Through the county’s volunteering website, my friends and I signed up to help build a native plant garden at the Great Falls Grange and prepare for the Bluebell Walk at Riverbend Park.
In case getting your hands dirty is not your cup of tea, you could research the voting records of your Congressional representatives, which are easily available online from organizations like the National Environmental Scoreboard. You could write a letter to your Senator or Representative to thank them for protecting the environment or to ask them to support future environmental bills.
The weeks leading up to Earth Day have many events open to students and the general public where you can learn more about the environment and ways to get involved. Environmental clubs can register to participate in the School Environmental Activity Showcase on April 18. This fair allows local students to present their activities and learn from each other.
You could also host or attend a fundraiser to support an environmental organization. For example, Climate Conservation Club is selling Earth Day crafts using recycled material at the annual Children’s Business Fair on April 22 on Utterback Store Road. The money raised will go to an organization in Kenya that protects injured and sick sea turtles.
You could check out books about climate change from your local library and share what you learn with your friends and family. Try writing about what you learn in school publications or even local newspapers!
And last but not least, you could also start an environmental club. By teaming up with friends at school or in your community, your group can get new ideas, have more fun, and make a bigger impact. I saw this to be true when a friend and I interviewed our principal about energy usage. By working together, we thought of better questions and had a great time.
However you choose to celebrate, have a happy Earth Day!