On April 22, 1970 Earth Day was born in the United States of America. It is a day to promote environmental awareness and the protection of our planet. Although this important day did not go global until 1990, more than 190 countries participate in this celebration today! Over 200 million people recognize environmental issues and make an effort to do something about it.

Helping Our Home

Some efforts by people worldwide include:

• Tree planting
• Recycling programs
• Attending fairs

Trees limit stormwater runoff, therefore flooding and water pollution are reduced with the help of planting trees. Not only this, but the oxygen given off by trees allows us to breathe- so that’s a plus!

Recycling programs can be anywhere from picking up cans and trash on the side of the road to learning what to recycle and why recycling is so important. Recycling takes little to no effort but makes a huge impact on the environment.

Attending fairs is a great way to learn how you can contribute to the health of our planet. Some key topics include deforestation, pollution, gardening and being more energy efficient. For example, with the popularity of electric cars, we are cutting down on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere.

Contributing to our Planet

Here are a few ways to become a “greener” individual:

• Save water by planting drought tolerant plants.
• Save electricity by washing clothes in cold water whenever possible.  85% of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.
• Buy locally grown food when you can.  Farmer’s markets are everywhere these days.  Not only will your food be fresher but it will keep money in the local economy.
• Bring a reusable water bottle when traveling or at work.
• If you love reading, try borrowing instead of buying.  Borrowing a book from the library or a friend cuts down on the ink and paper used to print a new book.
• Donate or recycle responsibly.  E-waste contains toxins such as mercury and is a growing environmental problem.

Prepping with Penless

This year I am going to replace many of my water guzzling plants with succulents and other drought tolerant plants.  I may even replace some grass and put some hardscape or turf in. The idea board feature of the Penless app will help me collect ideas from nurseries and magazines. With the idea board, I can take pictures of plants I like and get suggestions on what I think would look good in my garden.  In addition to taking pictures from the nurseries and magazines, I can also walk my neighborhood and see if others are planting anything that I like.  After I take the pictures, I can make notes on the idea board so I don’t have to remember the names of certain plants. I can refer back to my idea board at any time.   Penless is a breath of fresh air!