Wednesday, April 22 officially marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day but why not celebrate the entire week! A perfect way for one to start becoming environmentally active at home is through conservation and sustainability in the landscape! While we can’t attend Earth Day events in person this year, here are some local ways you can celebrate Earth Day from the shelter of your own home:
Videos and Events:
Our City Forest will be live streaming a series of Planet Tree presentations for all age groups on their YouTube and Instagram accounts at 11:00, Wednesday through Friday this week. Celebrate Earth Month and Arbor Day by learning about urban forestry and environmentalism! Check out the event flier for streaming info.
The City of Palo Alto’s “Guide to Celebrating Earth Day, While We Shelter In Place” offers a summary of events happening this week including:
Local non-profit organizations, Smart Yards Education and La Mesa Verde, are hosting Earth Day Climate Action throughout this week, which includes a set of online activities and programs designed to engage the community in both English and Spanish.
Actions to Take:
To conserve water inside your home, the first step is understanding how much water you use and where to look for potential leaks. Valley Water’s FREE Do-It-Yourself Water Wise Indoor Survey Kit can help you see if your showerheads and other fixtures are efficient, teaches you how to use your water meter to identify leaks, and more!
Valley Water’s Landscape Rebate Program and Graywater Rebate offer incentives for reducing water use in the landscape by converting high water use landscape, installing efficient equipment, and investing in alternative water sources such as graywater and rainwater. (Pre-approval is required.)
Remember to always look for the EPA WaterSense and EPA EnergyStar labels when purchasing new water fixtures or appliances to help lower high energy and water bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.