Every Day Should Be Earth Day

Happy Earth Day 2012! It’s the 33rd annual celebration of Earth Day today, and of course the Enright Ridge CSA helped celebrate. Thanks to Enright CSA members who have been out and about spreading the word about urban agriculture at Earth Day and wildflower events around town in the last week or so. Nancy, Suellyn, Michelle, Jim, Deborah, Emma . . . your advocacy work is appreciated by the everyone in our CSA, and we all hope we raised a little consciousness out there, too.

The Enright Orchard Project, spearheaded by Suellyn Shupe, also got some nice press in the Green Issue of CityBeat that came out last week, just in time for Earth Day. The elderberry trees and currant bushes have already been planted, with more native fruit and nut trees to come.

But wouldn't it be great if people thought of every day as an Earth Day? We don't have to make a big fuss every day, but there are a lot of little things we could do. For example, think about growing some of your own food . . . it’s a good place to start. If you have a little space in your yard, plant some easy-to-grow vegetables, such as zucchini or just a row of leaf lettuce. Or, if you aren’t ready to make the plunge into dirt farming yourself, find out more about a community garden near you, the Enright Ridge CSA, the Hillside Community Garden at Mt. St. Joseph College in Delhi—there are lots of possibilities.

Or take a look at what’s growing in your yard right now. Chances are a lot of the shrubs and flowering plants, maybe even the trees, are non-native species. Pick a corner of your yard, eliminate the invasives, and plant some native species instead this year. You will be providing a habitat for pollinators and other “good” insects, helping to preserve species that could eventually be crowded out by non-natives, avoiding the use of pesticides (and perhaps fossil fuel in your lawnmower), and you will probably like the results, too.

If growing your own food—even with the help of the Enright CSA—seems like too much of a commitment, maybe that native plant garden is just the right thing to help you keep Earth Day in mind all year round. Or, if that seems like a lot of trouble, there are other, smaller steps you can take. Compost your food scraps. Take your bike to the store. Ride the bus to work. Every little bit helps, and together, all these little steps might just add up to a movement.