Eco Living Series
Earth Day
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Earth Day.
Why is there a need to celebrate Earth Day? Are we really taking the planet so for granted that we need to designate a day to think about it? It seems to be what people are buzzing about. So what does that mean for us?
How we can help?
Let me start by sharing with you a memory of my boys. Each year on Earth Day, they would each bring home a little tree in a bag, given to them by the school to commemorate Earth Day. These little specimens would appear as a gift dangling for dear life, suspended in a zip top bag with a tiny bit of dirt surrounding the root system. Each of them would proudly present it to me, extending his little arm, looking at me very proudly and beaming with a huge grin from ear to ear.
My boys knew I would be pleased because they knew the joy any plant gave me. They’d seen me in our home garden many days planting, weeding, watering, and picking our vegetables from it. For each tree I’d make a bit of a ceremony and plant the tree in its cozy home, complete with fresh compost from our bin. They’d dig the hole themselves with such pride in what they were doing, despite the towering shovel in their hands. To this day, some of these trees are still around.
To be exact, I have three of the trees the school gave my boys to plant on Earth Day! The others fell victim to lawn maintenance mowers, animals with veracious appetites and a bit of watering neglect on my behalf on one occasion. But for the most part, the trees continue to grow. Every year they grow just a bit more and will hopefully be here for many years to come.
I am thrilled that our elementary school continues to give trees to the students for Earth Day. This activity teaches them so much about giving back to the earth and patience to watch their tree grow. It also teaches them the art of nurturing a little specimen and gives them a sense of accomplishment every time they go in the garden to check out its progress. All of these lessons are so critical to our little ones
If your school participates in this kind of activity, great! If not, you can work with your local school to start a program or start it just within your family. Fruit trees are always fun to plant for kids because they not only get to see it grow, but they get to literally taste the fruits of their labors. Make it a memorable event. Document its plant date and take pictures. Then every year, make an event out of taking a picture and including that in your book. Even better, put your kid next to the tree and watch them grow with the tree. As the years go by, you will be able to look back and see how much the tree and your children have grown, all by working together in appreciation of our beautiful mother earth.
It’s just a simple thank you, back to the planet that has provided so much for us; being mindful to take care of that which has taken care of us.
How do you celebrate Earth Day in your community? As always, I love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Until next time…
Gloria @ gbcstyle....
tweet with me at @gbcstyle
friend me on facebook
email me at
Why is there a need to celebrate Earth Day? Are we really taking the planet so for granted that we need to designate a day to think about it? It seems to be what people are buzzing about. So what does that mean for us?
How we can help?
Let me start by sharing with you a memory of my boys. Each year on Earth Day, they would each bring home a little tree in a bag, given to them by the school to commemorate Earth Day. These little specimens would appear as a gift dangling for dear life, suspended in a zip top bag with a tiny bit of dirt surrounding the root system. Each of them would proudly present it to me, extending his little arm, looking at me very proudly and beaming with a huge grin from ear to ear.
My boys knew I would be pleased because they knew the joy any plant gave me. They’d seen me in our home garden many days planting, weeding, watering, and picking our vegetables from it. For each tree I’d make a bit of a ceremony and plant the tree in its cozy home, complete with fresh compost from our bin. They’d dig the hole themselves with such pride in what they were doing, despite the towering shovel in their hands. To this day, some of these trees are still around.
To be exact, I have three of the trees the school gave my boys to plant on Earth Day! The others fell victim to lawn maintenance mowers, animals with veracious appetites and a bit of watering neglect on my behalf on one occasion. But for the most part, the trees continue to grow. Every year they grow just a bit more and will hopefully be here for many years to come.
I am thrilled that our elementary school continues to give trees to the students for Earth Day. This activity teaches them so much about giving back to the earth and patience to watch their tree grow. It also teaches them the art of nurturing a little specimen and gives them a sense of accomplishment every time they go in the garden to check out its progress. All of these lessons are so critical to our little ones
If your school participates in this kind of activity, great! If not, you can work with your local school to start a program or start it just within your family. Fruit trees are always fun to plant for kids because they not only get to see it grow, but they get to literally taste the fruits of their labors. Make it a memorable event. Document its plant date and take pictures. Then every year, make an event out of taking a picture and including that in your book. Even better, put your kid next to the tree and watch them grow with the tree. As the years go by, you will be able to look back and see how much the tree and your children have grown, all by working together in appreciation of our beautiful mother earth.
It’s just a simple thank you, back to the planet that has provided so much for us; being mindful to take care of that which has taken care of us.
How do you celebrate Earth Day in your community? As always, I love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Until next time…
Gloria @ gbcstyle....
tweet with me at @gbcstyle
friend me on facebook
email me at
