Happy Earth Day!

Whether it’s time spent outdoors, supporting an environmental cause or pursuing a more sustainable, greener lifestyle, our team shares the various ways we celebrate and honor Mother Earth this year.

 

Ann:

In April, and every other month of the year, I celebrate the great outdoors through an ongoing commitment to Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center.  One of Oregon’s hidden gems and a non-profit organization, Opal Creek’s mission is dedicated to getting kids off the grid and outside where they explore, discover and stretch their minds and bodies. My own kids are counting down the days until our annual visit this July!

Kelda:

My plan is to take on a zero waste challenge with the family for one week! They recently stopped recycling plastic here in Oregon, so our garbage has gotten out of control. I’m hoping we can find ways to reuse everything that can’t be recycled, be more conscious about the packaging on the items we buy, and closely track what we have to throw away for a week to demonstrate to the kids a) how much garbage we produce and b) the steps we can take to reduce that waste.

Gretchen:

I’ll be celebrating Earth Day – and a friend’s birthday – by hiking Dog Mountain in the Gorge.

Lisa:

As our family experienced first-hand the effects of climate change (drought, fires, mudslides) in Santa Barbara, we plan to attend a panel discussion to learn more about the impact of climate change in our community and how we can improve our preparation and response to these events. We also try to shop locally whenever we can and volunteer time to support our beach clean-up program.

Savanna:

We’re planning to go to the beach and while we aren’t participating in anything formal for Earth Day, I plan to spend a bit of time picking up some trash.

Lisa H:

I’m making a more concerted effort to bring a Swell water bottle to work, and refilling it throughout the day, to prevent the adverse effects plastic water bottles have on our health, our oceans and the planet. I’m also attending the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival to appreciate the beauty of nature.

Natalie:

This month I am doing some gardening and sprucing up of my yard, but I’m focusing on choosing flowers and plants that are bee and butterfly friendly. In addition to having a spot to hang out in during the Oregon summer sunshine, I want to contribute to the health of the declining bee population by choosing native plants that support this very important member of our ecosystem!

Hailey:

I’ll be heading out to the Columbia River Gorge with Trailkeepers of Oregon to help repair the damage done to our beautiful trails by the Eagle Creek Fire. Every month, they organize hundreds of volunteers with all experience levels to rebuild some of the most-loved trails in Oregon, most of which have not yet reopened to the public.

Addy:

To celebrate Earth Day, I’d like to take a little break from the city and visit Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center.  From Jawbone Flats to the Whetstone Mountain loop, there are many hiking options to choose from. I encourage everyone to bring along a paper bag and pick up any garbage you may come across on your nature hikes. Helping to keep our communities as clean as possible is the best way to honor this beautiful planet.

Kris:

Stewardship of the environment is an important cause for me—I’m always trying to find ways for our family to reduce its footprint. Given alarming recent changes to recycling, I’ve refocused our efforts at home, specifically around how we buy and consume food. We’ve been trying to eat less meat with regular meatless Mondays and by frequently testing new vegetarian recipes (a challenge with picky little eaters!) and our big push is to reduce the amount of plastic we buy at the grocery store. We’ve been using reusable produce bags (love these!), skipping on anything packaged in clamshells, and purchasing from the bulk aisle when we can. But maybe this Earth Day, we’ll head out to eat. According to Portland Monthly, local nonprofit NW Veg “is offering a coupon good for 50 percent off any menu item at more than a dozen local vegetarian eateries.” What a delicious way to celebrate!