Tomorrow we will be celebrating our mother…Earth! Our beautiful blue dot in this gigantic universe. In 1970, this holiday was created by Senator Gaylord Nelson as a way to show the nation that we need to take care of our planet. At the time, there was no EPA, no Clean Water Act, and no Clean Air Act. Luckily, we now have many organizations to help fight climate change and to help our planet. However, we also need to do our part. Here are some ways to celebrate Earth Day and to help our planet:

1. Plant trees – Did you know that Brainfiller plants a tree for each person who signs up for our courses? We have partnered with the National Forest Foundation to plant trees where they are needed most. You can also help by planting trees in your community.
2. Pick up litter – Trash is everywhere. Next time you’re walking around, bring a trash bag with you to help clean up the litter. If you live near an ocean, head to the beach for your trash cleanup. Let’s help keep our communities and our ocean clean. 
3. Start a recycling program – Many offices surprisingly do not offer recycling. Start a recycling program at your work. Find your local recycling center to get more information to start your program. 
4. Go paperless – We live in a world that makes it so easy to go paperless. We can sign documents on a computer. We can get our bills online. We can take screenshots of documents and receipts instead of printing them. We may not be able to be completely paper free, but we can definitely limit what we use.
5. Hike a national park – Get outside and enjoy nature! Every time we visit a national park and pay for the entrance fee, we are helping to fund the upkeep for that park. Not interested in paying every time you go? Order an America the Beautiful pass. It’s a yearly pass that allows unlimited entrance to all of the national parks for one year!
6. Eat more veggies – …and less meat! The meat, egg, and dairy industry negatively impact our environment. You don’t need to become a vegan, but maybe try Meatless Mondays. 
7. Buy second hand – Clothes and furniture are great things to buy second hand. Buying second hand instead of new can also help cut back on emissions. 
8. Turn off your lights – Open the windows and turn off your lights during the day. 
9. Make upcycled crafts – Reuse things that you might otherwise throw away and turn them into something awesome! Here are some fun examples that you can try: Upcycled Crafts
10. Use reusable – Cut back on single use plastics and invest in reusable items. Try out reusable straws, use totes instead of plastic bags, reusable sandwich bags, etc. There are so many creative options to help reduce our use of plastics. Here’s a great list of items that you can buy: Eco-Friendly Products.

Have an amazing Earth Day!