“It’s surely our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, but for all life on earth.” — David Attenborough

Earth Day, celebrated on April 22 every year, is right around the corner, reminding us of just how valuable our beautiful planet is. This is an important day to recognize that the ground we rely so heavily upon to supply us with air to breathe, food to eat and water to drink deserves to be protected and nurtured in the same way it does for us. 

So what can you do this year to give back to the environment and our Earth? Here is a list of four action items that you can take part in this Earth Day to help keep our planet happy!

Help plant native species and remove invasive species at Forest Park
Forest Park Conservancy is hosting a volunteer work party event on Apr. 24, beginning at the Birch Trailhead in Forest Park near downtown Portland. This is the perfect opportunity to learn about native and invasive plants while stewarding a local forest. 

Participate in a local trash clean up
If you are looking for something closer to home, the up-and-coming Tualatin Sustainability Network is hosting a Trash Pick-Up Party on Apr. 24 at 10:30 a.m. You can sign up on their website to be part of a positive environmental initiative right here in Tualatin!

Plant trees along Hedges Creek
If you’re looking for a pre-Earth Day effort, The City of Tualatin, along with help from Friends of Trees, is  championing the 2021 Put Down Roots event on Saturday, Apr. 10. You can register on their website to be a part of the initiative. The event provides the resources for people to plant and mulch trees in a fun, community-oriented way. 

Watch a documentary or read a book
Educating yourself is a simple and great way to start celebrating and understanding the importance of Earth Day, and there are various documentaries and books to choose from. Some recommendations include a documentary on oceans and the seafood industry called Seaspiracy, another documentary on farming practices narrated by Woody Harrelson called Kiss the Ground, and the book Fragile Earth, a collection of environmental writing from the New Yorker magazine.

However you choose to celebrate, I hope it is a reminder of how lucky we are to be inhabitants of this Earth, as well as the responsibility we have to give back to the environment and support all other living inhabitants of our planet.