What's the point of Earth Day?

Tomorrow marks Earth Day 2025. Since 1970, EarthDay.org has been promoting a day dedicated to action each April, aiming to raise awareness about the planet's most urgent environmental challenges.As gardeners, many of us 'celebrate' Earth Day daily. These celebrations can vary greatly, from small gestures to larger efforts. Sometimes, simply enjoying the sun's warmth in my garden is enough. On other occasions, I engage in more substantial actions to acknowledge the Earth's vital importance to me.

Some of those easy changes are also the least expensive and least work. Start composting and replace store-bought fertilizers with a seasonal dressing of homemade compost. If you are fortunate enough to have the space, a simple pile in a sunny spot is easy to do. I occasionally flip the pile, harvesting the rich soil from the bottom. In my experience, fancy compost tumblers and bins are too small, get neglected, and can be an eye sore. They may also be necessary if you have trouble with lots of critters in your area.

Make or buy a few rain barrels for your downspouts and have free, relatively clean water for your plants (https://njaes.rutgers.edu/E329/). This year my goal is to hook up a basic irrigation line from my rain barrels to my vegetable beds. Doing this will eliminate the need to run a hose, which I inevitably forget to turn off on time.

Every winter I do a quick review of what vegetables I bought most frequently. I do my best to start some seeds of those most common ones. I can save a little money, eat a little healthier, and avoid the added chemicals in store bought veggies. Trips to the local farmer's market is also a fun and easy way to celebrate our planet!

Creating a native pollinator garden may be a bigger project than many people have time and space for. Adding a simple bee house to your garden is simple and cheap (or free if you make it yourself: https://www.beyondpesticides.org/programs/bee-protective-pollinators-and-pesticides/pollinator-curriculum/build-your-own-native-bee-house).

Start with simple things and see where it takes you!