5 Free & Fun Things To Do To Celebrate Earth Day!

Earth Day 2017 is April 22nd and it is more important than ever to recognize the importance of sustainability and caring for our ailing planet. Earth Day is just the day to reflect on what you can do to make small, everyday changes that can overwhelm the world. 

Here are five fun, free, thoughtful things to do in the New Orleans area and abroad this Earth Day! 

1. City Park in New Orleans will be hosting a family-friendly celebration this Earth Day in their Botanical Gardens including but not limited to children's games, acoustic performances and cooking demonstrations focusing on green ways of living. Local eco-friendly vendors will also be selling their goods. There is no cost of attendance although donations to City Park are accepted. 

2. Take a hike at your local national park. Our closest one is Jean Lafitte National Park at the Barataria Preserve. If you're a local or visiting, there is no better day than Earth Day to relish in the beauty of the bayou and spot wild alligators, armadillos and more. 

3. Read Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. This ground-breaking book is still just as sinister and terrifying as it was in its original publication in regards to capturing what our world would look like with a silent springtime. Carson was a pioneer in articulating the dangers of using pesticides on our environment and has paved the way for meaningful social change to bar and protect vulnerable agriculture. 

4. Write your congressman or representative about your concerns, praise or thoughts on protecting your local environment. Every city is facing different issues or changes in regards to the environment and Earth Day is the time to raise your voice for the single most important living entity that connects us all. Make this a more social activity by meetings with friends, co-workers or colleagues to contact your representatives and going on said eco-friendly hike afterwards. 

5. There is no better time than now to plant those random seeds you have had around the house! Find miscellaneous pots or planters and begin making a home for your new seeds to they have the room to evolve into new, beautiful plants. Plants provide oxygen to the body and positive energy to the mind. Therefore, don't be shy in building a green fortress in and around your home.