April 22, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day in 1970! Help us support our mission “for a healthier planet” by taking part in our Earth Week challenge. Click here for details.
Litter Pick-Up Walk
We can all do our part in making a difference to care for where we live. One of the simplest ways to make a difference is by helping clean up our own neighborhoods and public spaces by picking up trash. Not only does litter make our streets and parks look messy, but it can also harm the plants and animals that share this planet with us. Trash can end up in our oceans, seep into the soil, inside of birds nests, or into our lakes and rivers that provide us with drinking water. Let’s head out for a litter walk-about and make a difference. Remember, this is a great activity for Earth Day but it’s also important to clean up litter all year long.
LET’S GET STARTED
There are a few things you’ll need to keep yourself healthy while making our planet healthy. Make sure you bring a pair of gloves (a good pair or work or gardening gloves works great) and a few trash bags.
When deciding where to go for your litter clean up, try to think of an area that could use the most help! This could be as simple as a walk around your block, or you can make more of a morning or afternoon of it by going to a specific location that may be a special place to you. A local park with a river or stream is a great choice, as trash that ends up in our water systems can cause some of the greatest harm to the health of animals and the landscape. A nearby field or walking trail are also great choices.
KEEP A TRASH TALLY
If you are going on your litter-patrol with the whole family, another piece of your clean-up can be a trash tally. Bring a pad of paper and a pen to make tallies for the amount of each type of trash you find. Let’s break it down into a few categories:
- Food wrappers
- Cans and bottles
- Paper products
- Plastic bags
Can you think of any more categories? Feel free to add your own! What did you find the most of? The answer might surprise you.
The best part about going around to help clean up our earth is that it catches on quick! When other people see you out making a difference – it will inspire them to do the same. Thanks for helping give back this Earth Week!
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