Earth Day

[wren.]

earthly treasures

Hello fellow Iwakian!

As you may or may not know, April 22nd is Earth Day; a day focused on promoting environmentalism and conservation to keep the planet healthy. Given we live on it, though, does Earth not deserve focus for more than a day? So, at least for this month, let's celebrate it thoroughly!

There are a lot of fascinating forces on Earth that are essential for our survival, such as the carbon cycle, that often go unappreciated by the average inhabitant. We are quick to take these life-giving systems for granted, but if these systems became unstable, we would all perish. The way that Earth functions to create the life that it does is such a perfect phenomenon that it deserves recognition and discussion.

Not to mention, there are also tons of beautiful things that the Earth creates like crystals, water reservoirs, and the millions of plant and animal species with which we share a home. Why don't you post some of your favorite things about the planet so we can all appreciate them together? Hopefully, by sharing our knowledge, we will all walk away with some new facts in our pockets.

Additionally, if you have any tips for protecting and healing our Earth, please share them so that we can all do our part! Here are a few resources to look into:

• Ecosia - a search engine that plants trees
• GiveWater - a search engine that provides clean water
• Ekoru - a search engine that tackles climate change
• Too Good to Go - a service tackling food waste
• Forest - a focus app that plants trees
• Making flower bombs
• Shut It Off ASAP - a playlist that teaches you how to live sustainably
• Litterless - List of BYOC shops in the U.S.
• Local Harvest - Farmers' market locations in the U.S.
• The Freecycle Network - non-profit secondhand resource
• ExitReviews - show you how long products last and how to fix them
• Upcycle Stitches - a guide on Sashiko stitching for repurposing
• Looria - collects reviews to gauge the quality and durability of products

Additionally, check out these other April-related threads:
Take a Risk
Encouraging Your Fellow Writers
Fact-Checking

 

[PavellumPendulum]

I 100000% recommend watching the ASAP science series! I watched it with my husband and it's such an interesting look at how much work it takes to get us the luxuries we take for granted, especially when it comes to trying to find eco-friendly solutions for them. ASAPscience always makes things super easy to understand, so even if you're like me and haven't taken a single STEM course in years, it'll still be accessible content for you :D

 

[Absinthe]

To our US friends, there's a site that helps you determine what flowers/trees/plants are native to your area if you want to make those flower bombs, start a window box, or plant your garden.

National Wildlife Federation's Native Plant Finder

Or if you'd rather browse by state - or are a Canadian friend instead, you can visit Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center who list based on what State you live in!

I'll always advocate Earth Day as a good motivator to look at growing your own herbs in a window box, suitable for city living, and those of us with black thumbs! Of course, you're not limited to just herbs. If you're feeling a little more adventurous, try growing your own mushrooms with leftover coffee grounds.